An Unwelcome Return
by Daggzandarrows
Summary: When Emma and Killian return from the Enchanted Forest, Regina's world is turned upside down - King Leopold is both alive and in Storybrooke. Told from the perspectives of all those affected by the King's return. Established OQ, a Leopold instead of Marian alternate universe. Originally posted on my Chelseadaggz account - edited and reposted here on my Outlaw Queen account.
1. Chapter 1

She grins the moment she's able - in truth it had barely been a kiss with the way they'd been smiling against one another, lips stretched - when she knows he's done kissing her " _for now at least,"_ he promises with a wink that has her heart fluttering and her stomach clenching in anticipation of spending a night wrapped up in one another. She's not going to have sex with him, not tonight at least, she wants to do this properly and he, in turn, has told her that he wants to truly savour every moment they have together. They've both known the devastation of lost first loves, both understand the regret for not taking stock in every bit of time they'd spent with Daniel and Marian respectively. They don't have to stay long. They'll order coffees - for them - and ice cream - for the boys, Snow had told her that Henry would be going home with her that night, something that had made her all the more giddy - and make small talk with the Charmings before they'll head home for the night, their new little family.

Robin's staying over with Roland, they'd agreed on that before they'd left the warmth of her office to pick his boy up from Little John and she's already warned him that she doubts she's going to let him leave her to return to the forest once she's spent the night in his arms. He hadn't seemed too put out by that idea, not one bit.

Henry is the first to reach her as they're finally able to pull away from one another and step into the warmth of the diner. Practically the entire town is stuffed within the building to celebrate yet another period of calm, hoping and praying that this will last longer than the last. Her hand is still clasped within Robin's, her eyebrows rising in question as she smiles affectionately at her boy, so very light with the taste of Robin's kiss still on her lips. She feels like a young girl again, skin tingling with the excitement of new love - she hasn't told him yet, it's not the time, but she most certainly loves him already, despite how completely crazy it sounds - as she patiently waits for Henry to speak.

It was the expression on his face, the worry etched into a furrowed brow that had her own smile dimming and Robin squeezing at her fingers gently, he's giving them a moment alone, telling her that he was going to get them a table before leaning in and pressing a kiss to her cheek that had her nodding and pretending there wasn't a blush burning at her cheeks. She watched him go, their fingers linked until the very last moment before slipping free of one another. Henry was looking over at them too, his expression so very troubled despite the way he'd been so taken with Robin earlier and the thought that perhaps he wasn't as okay with them as she'd thought had panic rising within her. "Is everything okay, sweetheart?"

He started at the sound of her voice, as though he'd almost forgotten she was there as he lost himself in his thoughts and it had a frown forming on her own face as she bent at the waist, far less than she'd ever had to with the way he was shooting up now, and pressed her gloved palm to his cheek when he turned back to her, her dark eyes flitting between both of his as he inhaled deeply and exhaled a long slow breath. "Emma brought somebody back with her," he told her as she rubbed a thumb across the apple of his cheek.

"She did?" she asked, glancing up though remaining at his height, as though believing herself able to look through the hordes of people milling about the place, an impossible feat. She looked back down to find Henry studying her face nervously. It had her stomach dropping slightly, unease settling within her as she asked, "who is it Henry?" and when he remained quiet, still looking at her, his cheeks flexing as he ground his teeth together, swallowing hard, "it's okay baby," she hadn't been able to use that term in so long, it felt wonderful rolling off of her tongue, so much so that she couldn't help but smile because, whatever it was, _who_ ever it was, it meant nothing now that her boy knew who she was, now that she was 'Mom' again, "you can te-"

"R-Regina?"

She bolted upright, her heart knocking painfully against her chest and her mouth dropping open, wordless as she trembled where she stood because _it can't be!_ She was still staring at her son though, absolutely unwilling to find the answer to her question because that voice, _that voice_ had not haunted her for some time now, had mercifully left the darkest shadows of her dreams, replaced by another faceless body with a different voice, demeaning and belittling all the same but not _him_ anymore.

Robin was at her side in seconds, a question in his eyes that anchored her only a little because she knew he wouldn't allow anything to happen to her - he'd proven it only hours ago - not where he could help it anyway and when his hand came up to hold the side of her face, his un-gloved palm warm against her cheek, she found herself able to slow her frantic breathing for perhaps it was just her cruel imagination playing tricks on her, chipping away at the happiness she'd been feeling. Her own hand came up to grab at his, holding it there, keeping herself within his touch though she knew he wouldn't let her go, not when she needed him. "Regina, what's wrong?"

He wiped at tears she hadn't realised had begun to fall, his free hand stroking at the hair that had fallen to cover part of her face, about to ask her something else when he felt his hand being ripped away.

"What do you think you are doing touching the Queen in such a way!?"

She felt as though her legs were going to buckle from beneath her, her whole body trembling because it _was_ him, he _was_ here and it _was_ real, unlike the dreams in which he'd appeared and she'd managed to banish him from. This was real.

"I beg your par-"

"Kindly keep your hands off of my wife!" Leopold bellowed, standing over Robin now and edging closer to her as she attempted to regulate her breathing, to blink past the black spots that were beginning to cloud her vision making her aware of others looking now, more standing around them, of Snow's murmurings to her but from where, she couldn't tell, not when her head was spinning in such a way.

"Your wife?" Robin asked incredulously, and why would he know what the King had looked like? He'd spent his days hiding from the man and his guard, keeping out of sight and he turns to her for some kind of answer but she can't give him one, not when it feels as though her chest is caving in and her heart is about to beat out of it.

She thinks he steps closer to her but she can barely see now, feels blind in her panic and the dizziness is almost overwhelming, has her stomach lurching as she moves to step backwards with arms flailing about in front of her, to do _anything_ at all but the ground is not where her feet expect it to be and she falls down, down into arms that are familiar to her, arms that she'd been wrapped up in only moments ago, so very happy…arms that she feared may never catch her again but they're there and he's just as real as the long dead King but she still can't breathe.

She sways when Robin lifts her gently back to her feet, his weight strong behind her, one arm wrapped tight around her waist, the other rubbing up and down her leather covered arm and she thinks he whispers his intentions into her ear before he puts them into motion and begins turning them, completely ignorant of the man still yelling for Regina somewhere behind them as he shouts for Roland to come join them at the door. He'd watched John stepping forward to stop the old man's advance as well as Gepetto, Ruby and, somewhat surprisingly, Granny. He'd make sure to thank them later but for now he simply wanted to get Regina outside and lucid once again, the identity of the stranger no longer important to him with the way the brunette was struggling for breath.

She stumbled her way down the steps, apparently in control of her motor functions again now that she was out in the fresh air before she was doubling over and spilling forth the remnants of the meal they'd shared only a couple of hours ago into the nearest plant pot. He practically jumped down the steps, asking Roland to " _please ask somebody to fetch Regina a glass of water my boy,"_ glad to see him agreeing with a resolute nod before he was turning back to Regina who was still bent over and placing a hand upon her back, rubbing gently and soothingly. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"I don't understand," she whimpered, shaking her head though he'd pulled her hair back and away from her face in attempts to keep it out of her way, "how can he be here?"

He moved closer to her as he noticed her shivering and asked for her to straighten up again and face him if she felt able to do so. She did only after a little more gentle coaxing from him and when he moved to place his arms around her, to pull her into him with a hand on the back of her head, indicating his want for her to press her face into his neck, she shook her head and groused about what she'd just been doing. "I don't care Regina," he told her sincerely, wiping away her tears only for them to be replaced by more as she practically fell into him, her resolve not to do so crumbling with the tender affection.

"Am I right in believing that the man in there is King Leopold?" he asked quietly, rubbing both hands up and down the length of her back in what he hoped were soothing passes. She was still trembling but he believed that to be something other than the cold. It was the only conclusion he'd been able to reach, knowing that Regina had been the Queen in their land and suspecting that, given how young she'd been when she'd married the King, she'd been married only once. There was also the issue of the man long known to be dead referring to Regina as his wife.

"I had him killed," she confessed into the material of his jacket, her forehead pressed to his shoulder and her hands gripping at the lapels as though afraid he would pull away from her now that she had told him. It only made him even more determined to protect her. "I had him killed decades ago…"

He remembers hearing tell of the King's death not too long into his leadership of his men and had also heard talk of the Queen's alleged involvement. He hadn't thought much on it then, not one for royal affairs but he also remembered hearing his mother speak of the King taking a bride when Robin had barely been a man, remembered his shock at hearing that the girl was around his age if not younger. _"The child bride"_ his mother and her friends had called her and he hadn't really known it then but now, holding her in his arms, keeping her from collapsing under the panic of seeing one she thought herself rid of, the reason for her act of treason was so very obvious.

"He hurt you didn't he?"

There was only a moment's pause before she was nodding into him with a strangled sob as she told him "I couldn't do it anymore, Robin," and her grip grew stronger on him, her pleas more desperate because he was a good man and she was confessing to murdering her husband and it was almost astonishing to him that out of all of the people that had died under this woman's reign, she was practically asking him to forgive her for killing one of the only people who had truly deserved her vengeful wrath.

He held her closer to him, his own throat clogging with a well of emotion as he stroked a hand through her hair and told her "it's okay Regina," pressing kisses to her hairline before promising "I won't let him hurt you again. Not ever."


	2. Chapter 2

Noise seemed to erupt from within the diner the moment the door swung closed behind Regina and Robin, harsh chatter of those who, Emma suspected, knew less of the royal family's past than they pretended to. Her parents were with Leopold, Snow fawning over her father whilst Charming remained a little quieter as he studied the man. She believed that was something she inherited from her father, the ability to step back from a situation and take a little time to think about all sides of it no matter the subject. Her mother was a little more excitable and certainly in this instance though Emma couldn't blame the woman, not when her long dead father was suddenly alive once more.

She'd only caught a glimpse of young Regina when she and Killian had been in the other world, looking upon moments already passed and the scene she'd stumbled across had given her pause even in the midst of chaos. The brunette had been in the courtyard, bathed in the colours of the night sky and dress in pale ivory. She'd been talking with another, Sidney, holding herself together with hands grasping at her biceps, arms crossed over her chest.

She'd looked so very different from the Mayor that Emma knew, the fiercely protective mother and the once Evil Queen she'd heard tell of over the last year or so. She looked so young and so vulnerable in her pain. There had been a party, the orchestral music had filtered out from the open door from which Emma had guessed that Regina had left through and she wondered why she'd not been a part of it. Surely the King would have wanted his wife beside him, supporting him, enjoying the night with him but no guard had looked for her during all the time that Emma and Hook had watched.

There had been no deception in shining dark eyes and, though she couldn't hear what the woman was saying, Emma had remembered reading about the run up to the King's death and Regina's part in it in Henry's book on one of the rare occasions that she'd indulged in what had once been just an elaborate fantasy to her yet she now knew to be fact. Seeing it before her, the aching desperation that painted the young Queen's features, it had the blonde's perception on this particular era in the life of those she knew changing just so, shifting. She'd still saved the King though, had only thought of the conversations she'd had with Snow in which she'd spoken of the way she missed her father and just wished to see him again. She hadn't thought of the consequences bringing him back with her would have.

Henry had been livid with her when he'd found out and though she didn't know how the boy knew - perhaps Regina had told him some form of her past when he'd been growing up, leaving out the magical elements and perhaps editing her words to keep the truth of the curse from him - his anger told her there was far more to the returned King and his marriage to Regina than she'd first thought. It had been easy to believe that Regina had murdered her Grandfather in cold blood with what she'd already known of the woman but having seen the young Queen and bearing witness to the brunette's reaction to hearing his voice again, her opinion on the whole situation had been turned on its head.

"Oh Emma," Snow turned to her, tears streaming down her face as she looked back to her father to whom she'd passed Neal over to placate him, watching as he bounced his Grandson in his arms, the man still glancing over to the door through which his wife ( _was she still his wife?)_ and Robin had disappeared. "Thank you so much for bringing him back to me," she grabbed at her daughter's hands, squeezing and shaking them within her own as she laughed wetly, " _thank_ you."

She nodded with a small smile, feeling nausea settle over her when she turned to catch Henry glaring at her still, a startling anger on his young face that she'd never truly seen before. He began backing away from her the instant she moved towards him with her hand stretched out. "Henry, I-"

"Don't, okay?" he turned on her, pulling his arm from her grasp and levelling her with a look that had tears stinging at her eyes, absolute helplessness almost choking her because he'd always trusted her, even when he barely knew her and now she'd ruined that by unthinkingly and unintentionally hurting his other mother, shaking his head in warning. "Just don't, you've done enough."

She was speechless and fighting back tears as she watched him back away from her with barely another glance before he was moving towards the door, only stopping when Roland appeared once more, tugging on Henry's sleeve to pull him down to his level and whispering something in his ear that had the older boy nodding and directing him over to where Granny had returned to behind the counter with their hands held between them. Despite his anger and his concern for his mother, he was still gentle with the young boy, one who he'd barely known yet accepted without question. Her son's heart was so good that it only made the sting of his words worse. She had a lot to answer for.

She startled a little at Hook's hand on her elbow, turning to find him studying her with understanding as he told her "it's not your fault, love," and when she began to shake her head, her eyes dropping to the ground, he lifted it once more with a finger bent beneath her chin. "You did what you felt was right at the time."

"And what if I don't think it is anymore?" she asked quietly, her eyes moving between his own as she sought answers and comfort from him in equal measure, "what if I don't think it _was_ the right thing anymore?"

He stroked his hand across her cheek before tucking a long curled lock of hair behind her ear and smiled sadly, "then you'll find a way to make it right," his eyes moved from her to the door behind her, indicating the two outside before looking back to her pointedly "have faith in yourself Swan." She was glad he wasn't coddling her, wasn't excusing her regret, wasn't disregarding the mixed feelings of those involved with Leopold's return. He was comforting her and accepting that maybe it was wrong to bring the King back with them - _"you can't mess with the past, Emma"_ he'd told her and now, as she looked around her, she wasn't quite so sure he was wrong anymore.

She nodded, still somewhat unconvinced but glad that she had some sort of support behind her, support that she'd finally stopped pushing away after their impromptu trip and so, with a deep breath and a rather tentative kiss to his cheek (she felt the way he smiled at the gesture and quelled the need to remain in his embrace, inhaling his comforting scent) before making her way through the throng of people still gathered and still gossiping about things they knew nothing of. She ignored them though, glancing over to find Granny helping Henry and Roland to a glass of water she assumed was for Regina before making her way into the cold air outside.

Robin and Regina were sitting at one of the patio tables, huddled together and it looked as though he'd managed to calm the brunette down somewhat and for that Emma was grateful. She wasn't quite sure what the pair were to one another, had heard tell that there was possibly something going on between them and had seen the smile Regina had been sporting only this morning during their meeting on what to do about the Zelena situation, had picked up on Snow's teasing about her being 'smitten', he'd also stood steadfast at her side when they'd argued about Henry returning with Emma to New York, not interrupting nor smothering Regina with his presence but instead comforting her, supporting her silently.

The way there were sat now also suggested that they were something of an item with the way Robin held both of Regina's hands between his own, their foreheads pressed together with Regina's eyes closed as she listened to the words it appeared he was whispering to her, she was nodding gently, her knuckles white with the strength of her grip and she worked on steadying her breathing. Robin was watching her, barely blinking as he spoke and Emma could see the devotion there already.

She was brought out of her thoughts when the bell from the diner rang out signalling Henry and Roland's exit. Both passed by her without a comment nor a look, Roland practically spilling half of the contents of the plastic cup he was carrying to Regina and Henry in no mood to say anything more to her so she held her tongue, feeling a strong urge to cry again but she fought it as she watched as Robin turned from Regina with a smile to greet the boys once more, rubbing his hands up and down the leather covering the brunette's arms as she too looked to them both, her own smile of greeting small but warm nonetheless.

Emma watched as she took the cup from Roland gratefully, pressing a gloved hand to his cheek in thanks before taking a small sip. She nodded at something that Henry said to her, reaching to take one of his hands before looking to Robin when he seemed to say something next. She nodded again and Emma watched as both Henry and Roland instantly moved to grasp her by the arms and help her into a standing position before Robin was taking their place and looping an arm around her waist. The tiny tot moved to stand on her left in order to take her free hand what with her other laid palm flat on Robin's back, her water forgotten, and Henry moved to Robin's right, the archer's free arm moving to slip around the young boy's shoulders before pulling him closer and nodding to Regina.

The brunette seemed to take a deep breath, pulling all of them closer to her before closing her eyes and summoning the strength to transport them all back to the mansion, or at least that was where Emma assumed they'd go.

She remained outside until the very last tendrils of purple smoke had blown away upon the cold night breeze, loathe to return inside to the merriment of townsfolk who would surely take the side of their favourite Princess and her sainted father, who would rejoice upon his return and build him up to be far more than what Emma was beginning to think he deserved. She wouldn't ruin this for her mother, wouldn't taint the return of her Grandfather nor would she diminish Regina's painful past for a relative she wasn't so sure she wanted to know.

No, she would return to her family, would smile in all of the right places and politely excuse herself when the opportunity arose but she would not celebrate with them and she would not make any more conversation that necessary with the newly returned King. Tomorrow though, tomorrow she was going to pay a visit to Regina and listen to her side of the story, the side she believed would be far truer than that anyone else knew of.


	3. Chapter 3

_"Are you sure?" he whispered, lips moving against the skin of her forehead as her fingers gripped at the shirt covering his upper arms_. _His hands were pressed to the small of her back, palms warm against her dress covered form as they breathed together, deep, slow breaths that he'd worked hard to maintain with her since they'd returned here and she'd almost passed out with the toll the transportation magic had taken on her. "Roland is tucked up at the end of Henry's bed, I would make no objection if you wished me to sleep elsewhere Regina."_

 _Her fingers clenched with his words, nails biting at his upper arms though he paid it no mind, they'd discarded their jackets downstairs, hers hanging in the hallway closet that Henry had shown him to and his own on folded neatly on the back of the sofa. She'd rejected his offer to fetch her a blanket when she'd shivered against him on the couch but allowed him to wrap her in the warmth of his jacket. She'd shrugged down deep into it to bury her nose in the collar and leant even heavier against him, seeking all of the comfort that he could give with her legs curled up tight beside her and bare toes finding warmth beneath a cushion. "No," her head rocked with a shake where his lips still remained, pressing tender, comforting kisses along her hairline as she told him "I don't want to be alone."_

 _His heart ached at the tremble in her hushed voice, the way she pressed even closer to him, held him even tighter and he wouldn't leave her, had only offered in attempts to make her more comfortable but it seemed his presence would aid rather than exacerbate that. "Okay," he pressed one last kiss to her forehead before pulling back to look down at her and tell her with complete sincerity "I won't leave you."_

She'd fallen asleep barely an hour ago, the sobs that she'd muffled against his chest for the better part of the night had finally subsided and she'd grown still against him. There'd been hiccupped breaths that had continued long after she'd fallen into slumber but with his even breaths had come her own. He hadn't slept though, not one wink, not whilst she was in distress, not whilst she was still trembling against him. She'd told him how she'd attempted to escape from the castle so many times during her time there, told him of the spells her mother had placed upon both her and the King to ensure she could never leave and how that bond lasted even after she'd banished her mother. How her father had placed her unhappiness down to nerves on her wedding day rather than listening and helping her and how Snow reminded her every single day of the man she'd lost just to become a replacement mother for her.

The arm he had around her shoulders tightened, pulling her even closer to him and though she let out a sleepy grunt, she didn't wake. His lips were pressed to her forehead again, their legs tangled and her toes cold where they were wedged between his feet. Her own hands were pressed to his chest, tucked between them, her fingers bent gently. His other hand was wrapped around the front of her, draped over her hips and holding her close to him.

She was so much smaller than what she seemed, petite without her towering heels, dainty without her sharp words and crossed arms and so very vulnerable in her despair. She'd been so happy before they'd walked into that building, filled with a victory that she'd won all on her own, a confirmation of what she'd been too scared to hope for, that she could be good, that she _is_ good. They'd returned her heart, had sat before the warmth of her fire and she'd dazzled him with her smile, with the joy and affection in her dark eyes and the belief that this could be their second chance at love.

Then he'd tainted it all, this man, this ghost that she'd put behind her and it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair.

He wanted to blame Emma for bringing him back, wanted to curse her name for putting Regina through this again but the rational part of him wouldn't allow it for what would he have done in the very same situation? He knew the good in him would have told him to do exactly as Emma had, to save someone he knew was fated for death.

He rubbed a soothing hand down the length of her back, a feather light touch that had her nose nuzzling into his neck as he laid his head heavier against the side of hers and vowed to himself that he would do whatever he could to keep Regina feeling safe, that he would do whatever needed to be done to have her _feeling_ safe again.

He moved only as much as was needed when he heard the bedroom door crack open and he knew that it was at least 7am with the way the light managed to stream through from the cracks around the curtains but was most certainly surprised to find Henry standing quietly in the doorway, peering over at them with uncertainty on his face until Robin gave him a warm smile, still holding Regina close to him.

"How is she?" he asked after a long moment, his fingers curled around the door as he looked over his mother, taking in the way she clung to Robin with the very same frown he'd worn for the better part of yesterday evening until Robin had convinced him that getting a good night's rest would help, that his mother would be taken care of for the night. He'd listened and nodded, trusting Robin to care for his mom and when he'd told him so, that he knew she'd be okay as long as Robin was with her, he'd had to swallow down the lump that had formed in his throat.

"Better," he replied honestly, his voice barely above a whisper though he doubted she'd wake anytime soon, "she fell asleep about an hour ago."

Henry nodded, his brow still not smoothing out. It was a worry that Robin knew wouldn't dissipate until his mother was awake and smiling once more and he understood it for he too felt the same concern with the way she'd been last night. His heart ached for the boy though and so he asked him "how about I come make you some breakfast?" surprised when Henry's hand came up to stop him even before he'd begun shifting.

"It's okay," he told the man, nodding as he continued "you stay with Mom, she needs you right now," and it wasn't surprising that Regina was so proud of her son, "I've made Roland something to eat and I can keep him busy with cartoons for a few more hours, it's no problem."

As he turned to leave, Robin not completely sure of what 'cartoons' were but deciding that particular lesson wasn't needed right now, he stopped the boy with a call of his name. Henry turned with eyebrows raised and his expression so very much like Regina's despite the fact that they shared no blood, it had Robin smiling as he told him "she loves you very much you know."

A small smile broke out over Henry's face as he looked from Robin and to his mother before replying with complete sincerity "I know, I love her too."

She stirred only slightly when her son shut the door softly behind him, slurring "R'bin?" as her fingers clenched in the material of the sleeping shirt she'd given him before they'd climbed into bed last night.

He rubbed a hand up and down the length of her spine in soothing passes, shuffling down further onto the bed and tucking her head beneath his chin as he told her "sleep my darling, I'm here." She nodded drowsily against him, mumbling something that told him she was barely awake for it made absolutely no sense - he swallowed his chuckle for fear of further waking her - before he felt her dropping heavier against him once more and falling back into sleep.

He didn't know what was going to happen now that the King was back, were they still married? Was he right in thinking that Regina was still his wife? His death had been nullified now, Regina's widower status revoked. He knew things were different over here, that there were ways of severing the ties between man and wife but Regina had been barely able to breathe in the man's presence, surely it would only torture her more to put her through something like that...

She'd been through so much already, had confessed to him only yesterday evening after she'd told him of their bond, of the meaning behind his tattoo that it was only recently that she'd been able to find light in the dark of her life once more. They'd spoken of their lost loves and she'd lit up when he'd accepted that they'd been fated to be together long before either of them had ever met. She'd looked so beautifully happy, elated, like she couldn't truly believe that this was going to be her life, that she had someone now who would be there for her no matter what. Someone who would support her, who would care for her when she needed it and someone who - though the time wasn't right for telling her just yet - loved her for _her_. She had a person now and that thought had had her practically floating towards the diner with him and his son and then it was as though her whole world had come crashing down in a matter of minutes.

 _"I should have known life would kick me in the teeth again,"_ she'd sobbed into his chest, _"villain's don't get happy endings."_

He'd told her then and he'd tell her every day until he was blue in the face that she was not a villain and that she would find her happy ending, that he would help her find it. She was good, her heart was bruised but it was no longer as dark as it once had been. They'd get through this, through whatever Leopold's return was going to bring with him, they would get through this - together.


	4. Chapter 4

It was late afternoon when she finally awoke, her eyes crusted with dried tears and sleep combined and she just lay there for a moment, staring at the empty space beside her. Her hand lay in a warm patch, telling her that he hadn't long moved from her side and if she had the energy to cry once more she thinks perhaps she would from sheer adoration.

He was such a good man, Robin, so kind and selfless and so very stupid for allowing himself to get caught up in her. He deserved someone with no murderous past, someone actually _liked_ by the town, someone he could link arms with as they walked and press kisses to her cheeks and hold hands with without judgement. He deserved a mother for his child who wouldn't be hissed at as she pushed him on the swings, a woman whose motives wouldn't be questioned just for leaving the house. He deserved someone better than her but she was too weak to push him away.

Love was something that Regina hadn't experienced too much of in her life, she and Daniel had been just on the precipice of it when he'd been taken from her. They'd just toppled over the edge of pure happiness when his life had been stolen and she'd been pulled straight back to Earth. She knew Robin wasn't in love with her, he couldn't be, it was too damn soon but there were strong feelings there. She'd felt it in his kiss the moment her heart had been returned to her, she'd seen it in his eyes when he'd watched the way she'd smiled at his son over ice cream and she'd felt it in the warmth of his body as he'd held her whilst she'd cried.

He was a good man, far too good for her but she wouldn't push him if he wanted to be her, _couldn't_ for she didn't want to. Just another example of her selfishness.

* * *

They come just after Regina has managed to pull herself from bed, her boys having brought her a tray laden with hot chicken soup _("it's what Mom always makes for me when I'm sick or sad" Henry had explained when Robin had caught the knowing smile between the two of them"),_ crackers, a glass of water and a handmade card decorated with a daisy and Roland's adorable writing, backwards 'a's and all.

They'd sat with her on her bed, all three of them. Roland had nestled in beside her on one side whilst Robin had lay on her other and Henry had lain with his head on her lap. All three had worked hard on keeping the conversation light and playful and though there was still the nausea that came with Leopold's presence in the town, she found herself laughing lightly along with them.

She'd followed her boys - she likes the sound of that, _her boys_ \- downstairs and into the kitchen where she'd sat on a barstool and watched as they worked around one another to clean her plates and their own. She was foolish to believe that they could have a day to themselves.

Robin answers the door and she follows just in time to hear him telling someone "I don't think that's such a good idea" and her heart clenches with affection for him because he cares so much for her and, again, she doesn't deserve it. She squeezes his elbow both to alert him to her presence and in thanks before telling him that it's okay, they can come in. It's only a few moments later that they've given the boys things to preoccupy themselves with and shut themselves and the Charming's away in the privacy of her dining room that she wishes she'd just allowed Robin to shoo them away.

Henry comes when he hears her cries and though she should, she doesn't tell him to leave.

"How could you even ask that of me?" she sounded breathless even to herself as betrayal lanced through her body, her eyes wide and brow furrowed as she stared open mouthed at the woman opposite her. "How could you…" but there were no more words able to come from her, not as she choked on the sob that threatened to spill forth instead and though Robin's hold was strong on her hand beneath the table, though Henry's presence beside her was as important to her as the very oxygen she breathed, there was nothing that could stop the pain that echoed in both her body and her mind.

Charming was silent beside his wife, not looking at anything other than the table in front of him with her hand held between both of his whilst Snow looked equally as shocked as Regina did. "Technically," Snow began, watching her former step-mother carefully as she spoke, "you are still his wi-"

"Nothing." Robin was the one to interrupt the Princess despite his own thoughts on the matter only that morning when Regina had fallen asleep, his tone firmer than even Regina had ever heard it as he leaned forward and told her "he is nothing to her," because he'd never even deign to describe his love as being 'nothing' to anyone but this King, this monster "and if Regina says that she does not want to meet with him, if she says that she does not want to be anywhere _near_ him," he gritted out, "then you will respect her wishes and do something your father never did."

"Henry," Regina placed her free hand atop her son's, turning to find him looking troubled as he stared down at their joined hands before he looked up at her with sorrowful eyes, "why don't you go on up and check on Roland for us, okay?" and when he hesitated, when he looked as though he was going to ask to remain with her, Regina lifted her hand and pressed her palm to his cheek, lip trembling gently as she asked him "please?"

He studied her for a long moment, eyes as dark as her own tracing her face as the furrow in his brow deepened and he pressed his own hand to hers, leaning into her touch. "Okay," he relented and she could practically hear the battle raging in his mind, his need to stay eating at him even as he rose slowly from his chair, "I'll go but…" and he turned to his Grandmother then, no malice nor anger in his eyes because she was still his family but he needed her to know, needed to tell her, "don't hurt my Mom any more than she has been."

His words had Regina's breath catching and Snow's eyes growing sadder as she nodded gently and told him "I have not come to cause harm Henry," and when he continued staring at her "I have only come in attempts to heal this rift between us, okay?"

He looked at her for a moment longer, as though searching for the lie in her eyes and when he found what he was looking for, he nodded once in her direction before he was looking back to his mother, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek and whispering to her "I love you Mom," pressing another kiss to her temple when he felt her fingers squeeze at those he had curled around her shoulder before straightening out and making his way out of the room and up the stairs to where Roland was playing in his room.

Regina's eyes remained on the empty doorway for a long moment, absolute pride and affection for her son flooding her system, and allowed the tears that had gathered in her eyes to fall. She sniffled, wiped at her face with her free hand and turned back to face Snow.

"I meant what I said Regina," she implored with round eyes that reminded the older brunette of stone walls and pleas for horse riding lessons, taking her back to the very crux of their reason for this discussion. "I'm not here to hurt you or cause any unnecessary harm."

"Then don't ask me to do this."

"But Regina-"

"No," and this time there was no rage in her tone, no sharp edges, just sheer exhaustion that came from her restless sleep, fresh nightmares taking place of those she'd been plagued with for most of her adult life, "your recollection of our shared time in your father's palace is far different than mine," she looked down to find Robin's other hand coming to join the two they already had joined and she couldn't help but glance up to shoot him a grateful, if sorrowful, smile because he'd held her as she'd told the stories, rocked her through every hysterical fit that had wracked her body and she knew he would continue to until she asked him not to. "I made a promise to myself," she began when she was finally able to look back to Snow with regret colouring her features, "that I would never burden you with the truth of what your father…" her throat constricted as a fresh wave of despair flooded her system and she fought against the images that haunted her once again, "what he d-did to me," she brought a fist up to press against her lips as Robin pulled her into his side, his own lips resting against her dark hair as he held her to him though did not stop her as she swallowed hard against the sobs she would allow to escape.

"Regina…" Snow sighed, the chair scraping against the wood of the dining room floor as she made to move though, thankfully, Charming tugged her back gently, stopping her with a pointed look that had her quieting and looking back to find Regina completely enveloped in Robin's arms, the man having moved to pull her shaking form into his arms.

"Come on Snow," her husband encouraged quietly, standing and stroking a hand down her arm, nodding to her when she turned with tears in her own eyes because, looking at how completely Regina had fallen apart, seeing how the woman was visibly trembling in her lover's grip was chipping away at her faith in her father, he could see that and she didn't need to be here when that happened.

So they left, with hands clasped and tears withheld, they left a broken woman to be tended to by one of the very people they knew able to help pick up the pieces. They left to tend to their own broken beliefs, their own broken view of a world they had once been so sure of.


	5. Chapter 5

**TW: mentions of rape**

She doesn't leave the house, downright refuses to and though Robin doesn't push, he encourages. He whispers promises of long walks in the moonlight, holding hands and pressing kisses to every inch of skin that he can reach (is always doing just that when he asks it of her and she accepts them, will always accept his affections but) _"I just can't"_ is always her reply.

He asks if he can take her out, show her off and give her a reason to dress up not only for him but for herself because, with what little he knows of her past love, he knows she had to keep it a secret, could tell none of it even if she'd wanted to shout it from the rooftops. She smiles at the idea, dusts a warm palm across the stubbled skin of his cheek and tells him that she's _"so very lucky"_ to have him, to have his love…and then that smile grows sad as her eyes gloss and shine and she's back to the quiet sadness that won't quite let her breathe.

The boys ask her to join them in the park, for ice cream at the diner (Roland had made that particular request before either Henry or Robin could stop him) and she could see how tense they were around her, worried about upsetting her, about her spilling anymore tears because it had been almost a week now since that man had arrived in this town, in this time and it felt as though it had all but stopped since then. She felt stuck, she felt frozen and she didn't know how to set it moving forward again. She didn't know how to fix herself (or at least make attempts to) like she had before. In all honesty, she hadn't...there had been no true happiness in her life again until she'd adopted Henry.

Emma had visited on the second day, after her parents and with absolutely no clue that they'd even been here in the first place. Henry had sat with her again and had remained the entire time despite his current anger with his biological mother. He'd only left them both alone when Emma had stood to leave and Regina had asked for a little time with her. He'd agreed reluctantly and she'd had to scold him for the look he'd given the blonde before he'd left. That was something she was going to need to speak to him about.

 _"I didn't even think," Emma confessed quietly, looking down at the hands she had clasped in her lap, "and I know that doesn't excuse the fact that I still broke the rules and brought someone back with me, no matter who they were, I'm still very sorry Regina."_

 _She looked over the younger woman for a long moment, taking in her statement turned plea and she found, that no matter how she wanted to, she couldn't pull any rage for this woman to the surface, not after all they'd been through. "I forgive you, Emma," she breathed and couldn't help the small smile that painted her lips when green eyes found hers, complete shock dancing within them, "and I know it doesn't feel like it now but Henry will soon, he just feels too much loyalty to me to do so at the moment."_

 _The blonde nodded, her curls tickling at the red leather of her jacket as she sighed "I hope you're right."_

 _"I also…" Regina began somewhat hesitantly, her brow furrowing as tears pricked at her eyes with thoughts of the subject at hand, "I understand that things have changed within your household, your family but I want you to know that, no matter what your mother tells you nor any other in this town, including…_ him _" she spat, swallowing down bile before continuing, "that man is not good."_

 _Emma nodded slowly, looking the brunette over, the woman so very different to the one she'd known all of this time, "will you tell me?" she asked tentatively, her head tilting to catch Regina's eyeline, "will you tell me what happened to you?"_

 _The brunette was quiet for a long moment, her eyes on her hands as teardrops fell to wash across the backs of them and her face creased with her sorrow. "Women in our world were required to perform their marital duties," she explained softly, her voice thick with emotion, "there was no choice in the matter and no laws against it." Her head shook, her dark hair forming a curtain around her face as she continued, "I was taught that there was nothing wrong with a man taking what_ 'belonged' _to him" she spat the words with venom, her mother's voice filling her head, "and then when I came here and learned of the ways of this world, I realised that there_ was _something wrong with it, that I wasn't wrong for fighting against him, for marking him just as he did me whenever possible." Her nails were digging into the material covering her thighs as she inhaled deeply and was finally able to look up and catch the trail of tears falling down Emma's cheeks, "_ rape _was not a known word in my land Emma," she explained sorrowfully, "but for almost every day of my life for the better part of two decades,_ that _is what happened to me,_ that _is what the good and kind King Leopold did to me."_

Emma hadn't said much after Regina had finished speaking, had only apologised for what she had been through and assured her that her parents wouldn't be back around to bother her before taking her leave. She'd visited a couple of times after, still hopeful that Henry would speak to her but he wasn't ready yet and, unlike her Grandfather before her, Emma was respectful of his wishes.

Today was the first time she'd gotten herself properly dressed having spent most days in her pyjamas, the first time she'd stood before her mirror and actually _looked_ at herself. She hadn't lost weight as such, it had only been seven days and both Robin and their boys (she felt presumptuous referring to Roland as something of her own but it was in the privacy of her own mind and it was one of her only light thoughts these days, one that had happiness fluttering within her stomach) had been ensuring she eat as much food as she was able - half a bowl of soup on her good days when her throat wasn't tight with the need to cry both for what the future was going to bring and her gratitude for their patience with her - but she looked gaunt, ghostly almost.

Her clothes didn't feel the same anymore. The very things she'd used to feel better than those she'd cursed, her armour of silk and satin that now had her feeling like she was playing pretend just as she had all those years ago, dressed in glittering jewels and fancy, embroidered fabrics with a crown on her head that had belonged to another.

She didn't feel like she knew _who_ she was anymore for she no longer wanted to play pretend but she'd never been anything other than what another had wanted her to be, her Mother, her husband (the word still brought bile stinging at her throat), this town…she wasn't sure she knew who **Regina** was anymore…

But as she looked herself over once more in the mirror, shuffled tentatively closer to look only at her face, at the life slowly coming back into her eyes, she decided that, for once in her life, she wanted to find out.

No more Princess, no more Queen (evil or otherwise), no more Mayor…just Regina, just Regina and Robin and their boys.

* * *

"You look different," Roland tilted his head as he studied her, a little hand coming up to touch strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail to frame her face. He was sat on her knee, legs either side of her thighs and eyes so inquisitive as they roamed over her face, her hair, her clothes and she supposed she did to him. Her face was completely free of makeup, no crimsons or black lines, her hair had been washed, dried and pulled back into a loose ponytail, the ends just brushing the very top of her back and she wore no pantsuits, no tight skirts nor dresses and no pyjamas.

Instead she had pulled out one of her old pairs of dark wash jeans, fitted still, but ones which had been comfy and pliable to allow her to drop to her knees and play games in imaginary worlds with her son when he was young, soft worn denim for when little arms wrapped around her leg and asked her to sing him to sleep at bedtime.

She still wore a blouse for it was a style she felt she liked, flowing material, sheer or matte, shining and silky. This one was a burgundy silk, the only button was to keep the collar somewhat together and stop from revealing too much. It was playful enough to catch Robin's eye (she could practically feel them burning into her and she liked the feeling of being wanted, of being desired even feeling as miserable as she had) but demure enough to wear in front of others, namely, their boys.

Her feet were clothed only in thin black ankle socks. There would be no heels today.

"Bad different?" she asked, internally cringing at the answer she thought to be coming because children had no filter, they were brutally honest and gave no apologies for it. It was something she'd always admired in Roland, had noticed when Henry had gone from complete truths to little white lies when he understood the preservation of people's feelings but then, why should he? Wasn't honesty the best policy after all?

He shook his head though, messy curls bouncing as he smiled, still playing with her hair, and told her "you look huggy."

She laughed at that, for the first time in a week she actually laughed because "what a description," and the surprise on Robin's face when he darkened the living room doorway (the tangible relief too that she still knew how to laugh) had her smile warming as she glanced over at him just briefly before looking back to the boy grinning on her lap, proud of himself for pulling the sound from her. She bounced her knees, hands grabbing at Roland's and pulling them down to her lap as he giggled and shook.

She was unprepared though, taken completely by surprise when he suddenly lunged forward at her, arms wrapping tightly around her neck and little knees knocking into her stomach as he buried his face in the join of her neck and shoulder and told her "I missed you R'gina."

Slowly, after she'd processed what he'd said, she moved her arms to wrap around him, her own face burying in his neck as tears stung at her eyes and she confessed both to him, the man standing in the doorway practically radiating love and, more importantly, to herself "I missed me too sweetheart." and when she matched Robin's beaming smile with one of her own, she brought prodding fingers down to Roland's sides, revelling in his laughter and telling him "but I missed you more!"


	6. Chapter 6

**This one's a little shorter than the others, just to keep the ball moving :) Let me know what you think so far if you get a chance :)**

She smiled tiredly when she felt gentle fingers thread into her hair and scratch soothingly at her scalp, the smell of leather and coffee a welcome addition to her morning. He'd been patient with her whilst she'd worked through her guilt, had welcomed her onto his ship without question on the nights when she couldn't bear to sit in the apartment knowing what her Grandfather had done and without word from her son.

"I got you decaf, love" he bent to press a kiss to her curls, nodding to the cup he'd already set down in front of her in order to touch her, "I know you haven't been sleeping too well." and he _would_ know for she'd spend most of the evening and the better part of the early morning with him before she'd return home and even then sleep evaded her most nights. She was exhausted, bone-weary but still she couldn't sleep.

Emma smiled softly, gratefully, as she leaned into him a little when he pressed another kiss to her temple before moving to sit opposite her. She stopped him with gentle fingers on his stomach, indicating for him to sit beside her instead with a pointed look down to the space she created as she shuffled further into the booth. He smiled affectionately before dropping down and pulling her into his side with an arm around her shoulders.

Her head instantly fell to rest on his chest and she exhaled a long breath through her nose when he began playing with the ends of her hair. It was as soothing as his scent and his mere presence, her eyes automatically falling closed after a succession of heavy lidded blinks. "Thank you for this week," she whispered quietly, almost drowsily.

"You don't have to thank me, Swan" he replied just as quietly as she, glad when she didn't argue but instead nuzzled in closer to him with an arm draped across his lap. He let his hand slide down from her hair to rub soothingly at her back, hoping to lull her to sleep in all honesty and he believed she was halfway there when the bell above the diner door rang out, making her jump slightly in his arms - awake once more then.

He felt the blonde at his side perk up the moment her son walked through the door, Roland attached to him at the hand as he spoke rather excitedly about something neither Killian nor Emma could hear from their booth. Henry listened intently, face expressive as he nodded and answered where necessary, his eyes never leaving the boy as they made their way over to the counter. Killian's soothing hand continued on Emma back though this time he hoped to offer comfort. He knew how her son not speaking to her was affecting her, _hurting_ her. "He'll come around," he leaned in closer to whisper in her ear and though she nodded, he knew she didn't quite believe it.

He was watching her, smiling sympathetically when her focus changed completely, her lips parting softly in shock as her eyes widened. His brow furrowed first in concern but when she merely continued staring, clearly watching something, he followed her line of sight to find she was actually looking at some _one_ \- Regina.

Killian's expression coloured with surprise as he watched Regina enter the diner, Robin following close-by with a palm on the small of her back and the little finger of his free hand linked loosely with hers. It was a simple display of affection but he was quite sure, looking at the tense Queen, that it was one of the only things holding the brunette together at the moment.

The diner wasn't full nor was it particularly busy but still, as the eyes of others fell upon the new additions, the background noise seemed to fade to nothing. Henry's eyes rose from Roland - the young lad now sitting happily on a bar stool at the counter, quite oblivious to the change as he looked through the milkshake menu - his expression hard as he looked over those staring at his mother and it looked as though he was about to speak, to say something but he was swiftly interrupted by the arrival of Granny from the back kitchen.

She beamed at the family as Robin and Regina grew closer to the counter - it looked as though it took a little gentle coaxing on Robin's part with the rigidity of the brunette's spine - before shooting a quick look of warning to those watching the exchange and though the noise level didn't return to what it had been, some at least had the decency to _pretend_ not to be listening.

They couldn't hear much else from their booth, gathered that Robin was ordering for the four of them and watched as Henry began pointing out various different flavours of milkshake to an enthralled Roland. Regina remained quiet but, having looked over to the boys as well, found herself moving closer to them, placing her hands on Henry's shoulders and smiling down at him when he seemed to lean into the contact. Instantly a smile lit Regina's features.

His hand fell to squeeze Emma's jean clad knee beneath the table, glad when he felt her hand come to fall over the top of his as her fingers curled around and into his palm. She lay her head back down on his shoulder and closed her eyes as a single tear trailed down from her eye, over her nose and down to wet the back of her hand resting on his still. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before laying his own against it.

He wasn't sure how long it had been when he began to feel a strange tugging sensation, the feeling making him a little dizzy and almost nauseous before, almost instantly, it dissipated completely. When he opened his eyes once more, he found himself more than a little shocked to be looking at his own bedroom walls rather than those of the diner and, looking down, he found Emma to be deeply asleep on his chest. It was only with the arrival of a newspaper that appeared in a plume of purple smoke did he realise what had happened. Regina had transported them both back to his ship.

He could see something circled in red on the page of the newspaper that it had fallen open to but he was loathe to wake the blonde practically laying on top of him and so, instead, he shuffled down a little further on the bed, wrapped his arms around Emma - quite amused to find that Regina had done him the favour of removing his hook and magicking it to rest on the table beside his bed - and allowed sleep to take hold of him.

They would discover later once they'd awoken a little more refreshed than they had been that morning, that Regina had circled a number of available apartments in town, a short note written on a patch of blank space in the Queen's script - _do yourself a favour, Miss Swan._


	7. Chapter 7

"Here we are, boys" Granny smiled as she placed a burger and fries in front of both Henry and Roland, chuckling fondly when the younger boy gasped at the sheer size of his food as she teased "it's almost bigger than you, isn't it sweetheart?" whilst Henry tucked straight in.

Roland nodded with wide eyes and an open mouth before he began giggling when she dropped a hand to tickle at his side. His laughter was infectious and had all three adults joining in whilst Henry smiled around a large mouthful of his own food. He looked to his father for a long moment afterwards though, asking silently how he was supposed to eat such a thing having grown up on stews and meats roasted over a spit and picked apart with spoons and his fingers, it was Henry though - after swallowing down his food of course, much to Regina's pride - who explained that the only way to eat this kind of food was with your hands.

"And the fries taste even better when you dip them in ketchup!" Henry exclaimed with an excitement that instantly had the younger boy's eyes lighting up as he mimicked Henry's movements and picked up a fry between his index finger and thumb, swiping it through the red puddle on his plate and biting at half of it before chewing carefully. They all watched with fond smiles as his head tilted in thought when Robin asked " _what do you think, my boy?"_ and when his grin turned toothy, they couldn't help but laugh once more and delight in his exclaimed "yummy!"

Granny ruffled his unruly curls - Roland was much too caught up in learning about burger eating etiquette from Henry to pay her any more attention - before turning to Robin and Regina and telling them "I'll be right out with your food."

Robin smiled and nodded whilst Regina managed a small one of her own before her eyes fell to their hands linked beneath the table. He'd been rubbing his thumb along the length of hers since they'd sat down and even just the warmth of him pressed against her side had her feeling calmer than what she'd believed she could when she'd suggested coming here that morning.

They'd been shocked, Robin and Henry - Roland was still much too young to understand anything more than Regina had been sad for a while - when she'd made the request for the outing but they'd agreed instantly. He'd pulled her aside, Robin, when they'd all moved upstairs to begin getting ready - watching him pull on his rather worn jeans had reminded her that both he and Roland had barely any clothes from this world, only those that had been created with Snow's curse and that she'd need to take them both shopping, Henry too with his growth spurt this past year - and told her that there was absolutely no pressure on her to leave the house if she didn't want to. She'd smiled affectionately and pressed a tender kiss to his cheek that he'd leaned into before telling him that she wanted to go out with her boys.

He leaned in a little heavier against her, swapping the hand that she held with his other in order to drape his arm over her shoulder and pull her closer to him, she went willingly with a deep exhale, a little of the tension she held leaving her body.

Granny reappeared only a handful of minutes later, a hearty beef stew for Robin and a warm chicken salad for Regina in her hands. The brunette frowned as soon as the plate hit the counter before she turned to ask "did your hand slip whilst you were adding the chicken?" for there was a rather larger than usual pile atop her lettuce as well as fried bacon bits that seemed to be laced throughout.

The older woman merely let her eyes follow the length of Regina's body, stopping where the table hid her bottom half before lifting her eyes to meet dark once more and raising her eyebrows pointedly, chiming out an overly nonchalant "enjoy!" and walking away without argument. It unnerved Regina to think that a woman who had - not too long ago - fired an arrow straight at her head was quietly ensuring she was taking care of herself. Unnerved and confused her.

He wouldn't eat until she did, she knew that, had learned it over the past few days and so, without dwelling further on the old woman's apparent change of heart, she began on her own plate of food.

* * *

"You're really pretty you know."

She looked up in surprise, her eyes having been on the carpeted floor whilst she let her thoughts take control, to find Henry sitting cross-legged in the middle of her bed, socked feet tucked into the creases of his knees with his hands resting together atop the sides of his legs where they met. He wore his flannel pyjama set, the bottoms reaching just shy of his ankles - another reminder that they needed to go shopping, all of them. "Henry," a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips because if nothing else, just the sight of her son in their home, in his pyjamas, waiting for her on her bed could always have a flood of warmth gushing through her, "what are you doing in here, sweetheart?"

He ignored her though, his brow furrowed gently as he continued talking as though she hadn't asked him anything. "And you always smell good," it had her brow furrowing in question because she could think of no reason for him to be saying these things to her all of a sudden, "I think I missed that most," he nodded to himself, "when I left home, when Greg and Tamara took me and…" he breathed a somewhat frustrated sigh as though his own thoughts were tripping him up and she understood why when he continued "even though I couldn't remember you when you broke the curse and all I knew was Emma and New York and the life you'd given us…" his eyes dropped to the fingers fiddling with the hem of his pyjama bottoms, "there was still something missing and I didn't know what it was until you hugged me again."

"Oh sweetheart," her throat was tight with emotion as a tear dripped from Henry's cheek, illuminated by the lamp on her bedside table. She walked towards him, lifted her knees and crawled over to him on the bed. She almost let out a loud sob of her own when he was instantly climbing onto her lap as she came to sit still and burying his face into her chest, inhaling deeply. Her perfume had faded with the day, only lingering traces now on her sweater that were so very subtle they were almost unnoticeable but it was what he was used to, what he remembered from his childhood. Her hugs had always made him feel better. One arm wrapped around his waist, holding him to her whilst the other bent upwards to allow her hand to support his head against her as she bent to press kisses into his hair. "It's okay, my darling," she cooed, rocking them gently back and forth, "I'm not leaving you," she tilted her head to rest her cheek on the crown of his head before whispering "I'll never leave you again."

It had been a long time coming, this moment, for too much had happened since he'd arrived back in town and he'd gotten his blessed memories back - too much had gotten in the way of them.

He nodded against her, holding her even tighter and pressing his face even harder to her chest. The movements soothed him but then again there was no surprise there. She always knew exactly what to do to calm him, to comfort him and to have him feeling better enough to think straight. He always felt safe with her. Even when he'd been given the book, had found out about his adoption and who his mother was (or had been), there had never been any fear for his own safety. He'd never once been afraid to speak his mind with her, never felt the threat of her magic nor her wrath. She loved him unconditionally and it had only been recently that he'd truly been able to appreciate his mother's heart.

They were quiet for a long moment after the rocking and his cries ceased, just content to breathe together, to _be_ together. Mother and son clinging to one another in the midst of a tragedy. It was grounding having him back in her arms fully and though she'd never really forgotten the weight of his body in her arms, it was certainly nice to feel it once more.

His next words were muffled, almost inaudible with his position against her so, somewhat begrudgingly, she leant back and moved both hands to cup his cheeks when he pulled back as well, her thumbs moving softly across either side of his jaw as her eyes traced his handsome face, marvelling at just how much he'd grown. She smiled as she removed one hand to sweep back a lock of hair from his forehead and asked "what did you say, honey?"

He leaned into her touch, her warm palm and her gentle caress before telling her "I won't let him hurt you again Mom," and his tone held no room for argument as he continued "and I know there's Robin and Emma and David" because they'd all noticed his quietness, his unease when Snow had requested Regina meet with her father, "and they're bigger and stronger and everything," she noticed how he carefully omitted Snow's name but made no mention of it, she knew by now just how perceptive her son was and that he was no longer a little boy easily placated by well-meaning white lies, "but I can fight for you too and I can keep you safe too."

"I know my darling," she shushed him gently for she could feel him starting to grow hysterical once more and it only had her heart clenching within her chest as she told him "you have always been my valiant little prince," she shook her head in complete affectionate wonderment, "my bravest knight and my greatest protector and I know that you want to help me Henry, that you're desperate to heal my bruised and battered heart," she cupped both of his cheeks in her hands, pulled his face a little closer to her own and told him "but you started that process almost twelve years ago when you were first placed into my arms." Her own tears began streaking her face though she paid them no mind, "you have saved me in every way possible sweetheart, have no doubt in your mind about that."

He looked at her for a long moment, a frown pulling at his lips before he was nodding and falling into her once more, arms wrapping back around her waist as he cried "I love you Mom."

Her reply came easily and seamlessly from between her lips as she told him "and I love you my sweet Henry," glancing up to find Robin watching them from the doorway with a tender smile on his face, there was also concern there but her own small smile seemed to placate that worry as he nodded at her silent question and moved to take himself to the guest room, happy to allow mother and son this night together.

She maneuvered them both to lie beneath her thick duvet, her head on the pillow and his still on her chest with an arm threaded through the gap between the small of her back and the bed and the other laying over her waist as his hot breaths began deepening whilst she hummed a tender lullaby to ease him into sleep. He'd been tired before this emotional upheaval and with how quickly he fell under she found herself worried that perhaps they should have done this sooner, should have talked about this sooner even if only to allow Henry a peaceful night's sleep but he was here now and calm within her hold and so, with one last kiss pressed to the top of his head, she replaced her lips with her cheek and allowed herself to be dragged into slumber content in the knowledge that she'd be waking up to an unburdened young man in her arms.


	8. Chapter 8

She moved quietly about the kitchen, years of practise making the whole process almost silent. She was the only one awake, her husband still snoring softly into his pillow, her father lost in slumber and, she realised with a sad sigh, she was quite sure her daughter had failed to return home last night. She wasn't quite sure what was happening with Emma but she knew there was guilt there, she held her own too.

Her conversation with Regina earlier that week had unsettled her. She'd known the brunette longer than anyone else in the world, _including_ her father, and one thing she'd never known the woman to be was a liar. Snow also remembers the ways of their land, the differences between here and there but her father wasn't like that. He was gentle and he was kind, he had one of the biggest hearts she knew but why would his return distress Regina as much as it had if that were true?

She was conflicted and she felt heavy. She should be rejoicing for her father's return but instead she was merely fighting to keep smiling rather than break down in tears.

Snow let the slight burn of her tea keep her grounded, the warm ceramic her palms were curled around soothing her as she let the thin tendrils of steam heat her cheeks.

There was also the worry that her father was growing ill. They'd spent the past few days exploring the town with Leopold, showing him the ways of this world and letting him grow acquainted with its many wonders. He'd always loved the outdoors and had enjoyed his time in the park most with Neal. Yesterday though, when she'd moved to wake him and make a plan for the day, he'd asked her to leave him, to let him rest. " _The travel here has finally caught up with me,"_ he'd smiled weakly at her, lids heavy with exhaustion, " _I have grown weary, Snow."_ He'd told her not to worry, that he'd be up and about in no time but he'd only woken later that morning - closer to the afternoon - when she'd made her way upstairs to call him down for food. Even then he'd been pale and weak and she'd had to feed him whilst he held himself up in bed.

It worried her. She'd check on him soon, when the hour wasn't so early, and there'd be colour in his cheeks and life in his eyes…

* * *

"Morning," Robin chuckled when Henry came padding into the kitchen, rubbing his tired eyes with a fist. His hair was dishevelled, a 'bed head' in every sense of the word much like his mother. "I'm making breakfast, would you like some?" he'd managed, with Regina's help when she'd been able, to get a good grasp on the grill and the stove, understanding that the burners lit the flames to heat the metallic surfaces and, in turn, cooked the food he placed within the pans.

He already had a handful of sausages keeping warm in the oven and bacon currently sizzling in one pan on the stove whilst the other boasted chopped mushrooms frying in garlic butter. It was a treat breakfast, one to keep the momentum of the previous day's success of helping Regina find her feet outside of the house once more going. Henry nodded, mumbled a sleepy " _thanks"_ before plopping himself on a bar stool and laying his head down on his folded arms on the countertop.

It was barely 7:30am and though Robin knew that Regina had always been something of an early riser, he remembered her mentioning that her son could sleep the day away if he was given the chance. That fact prompted Robin to ask "couldn't sleep?" concern instantly flaring within him that perhaps the boy's mother had been having one of her nightmares. She thrashed in her sleep, whimpered whenever she found herself lost within one and usually Robin would wake and hold her, soothe her until it abated and she was able to slumber somewhat peacefully once more - perhaps last night had been one of those nights.

"No," Henry replied after a long moment, clarifying "I slept fine," and adding "we both did," rather pointedly to ensure Robin didn't go running up to Regina but instead explained "I was actually going to come make Mom some breakfast before she woke up."

"You were?" Robin turned from the stove with a smile to find that Henry was sitting upright once more, watching him with lazy perusal - in all honesty, it looked as though he were ready to fall back to sleep but the realisation that he was fighting it to cook for his mother had Robin's smile warming all the more - and nodding. "Well then," he began, "I've gotten things started but if you would like to take over?"

Again, Henry nodded, this time smiling back as he dropped down from the stool and rounded the counter to stand beside Robin, taking the wooden spoon from his hands and stirring the mushrooms in their pan before he was turning with a smirk and allowing "you can go snuggle with Mom for a bit if you want?"

"Ah," the archer chuckled fondly, his hand lifting to rest on Henry's shoulder for a moment as he confessed "as perceptive as your mother told me you were."

Henry's grin faded a little as he turned to look at Robin properly, lifting the pan from the burner for a moment as he asked "she...uh...you talked about me...before?"

Robin knew what the boy was referring to and so squeezed at his shoulder with a nod and told him "all of the time, even during the Missing Year." and when the young lad nodded slowly, sadness in those dark eyes so like Regina's despite no genetics shared, he added "she loves you more than anything in _any_ world, Henry."

"I know," he replied with a soft smile curling at his lips, "I love her too."

Robin rubbed at his shoulder for a few moments more before giving it a gentle tap and making sure he'd be okay to handle breakfast whilst he went to wake up his mother. Henry nodded in the affirmative and told him to get moving before Regina woke alone.

* * *

He's never seen her looking so peaceful, not in all of the time that he's lain with her like this. He hopes, for her sake, that this means no nightmares seeped into her slumber, that perhaps she's finally getting the rest she needs since _his_ return.

She holds so much beauty, this Princess turned Queen turned Mayor now stripped bare of any formal title despite the grace with which she carries herself, beauty that is both skin deep and woven into her very soul and he hates that she doesn't see it yet. He'll help her to though, had been since before Emma and Hook's trip into the past, he'll show her just how very precious she is.

He lowered himself gently to lay opposite her, his head sharing the same pillow and he smiled affectionately when he felt her soft puffs of breath tickle at his jaw. The sheets are gathered around her waist, her legs hidden beneath them and he wants so badly to slip beneath those covers and tangle their legs together but he doesn't want to wake her unintentionally. He wants her to wake slowly and filled with his love and so he quells the desire and instead lifts his hand to stroke gentle fingers through her hair, scratching lightly at her scalp and waiting for her to open those beautiful eyes.

Her lashes fluttered, eyes moving behind closed lids before they began opening on slow, heavy blinks. She stared at him for a long moment, still drowsy it seemed as he smiled and waited for her to become aware of him. It didn't take too long and he couldn't describe how delighted he was when a smile began to spread across her own face.

"Sleep well, beautiful?"

She moved only her head, nodding it in affirmation against the pillow with long, slow, sleepy blinks that had him giving into his earlier desire and slipping beneath the covers with her. He chuckled when she instantly wriggled closer and nuzzled into the warmth of his arms, a long breath of contentment let out against his collarbone as he laid his head atop hers and rubbed her back softly.

"Henry's making you breakfast," he informed her quietly, barely a whisper, "he's quite the remarkable boy, Regina. He has the manners of a saint."

She chuckled against him, pressing a kiss to the skin left exposed by the collar of his shirt before whispering "he's a good boy."

"That he is, my sweet."

He settled her in against him after that, both content to remain silent and listening to Henry pottering about the kitchen with the added murmuring from Roland who, it seemed, had woken for the day. In all honesty he'd thought her to have fallen back to sleep she was so quiet and still against him and so he was rather surprised to hear her soft voice once more when she asked "do you think I should talk with Snow?" and when he asked why she believed she should, she explained "we were doing so well before…" and when she trailed off, omitting _his_ name from her sentence, Robin merely began rubbing her back again in encouragement for her to speak, to continue. "I just...I don't want to leave any loose ends, I was so happy before, everything was beginning to settle and I know it won't be like that again, _can't_ be like that again, it'd be nice to get closer to it than I am now."

"Would you _like_ to talk with Snow?"

She sighed once more through her nose though this time it was with less contentment and a little distress, it had him pulling her impossibly closer to him. "I don't know," she burrowed in closer to him, "but I know that I'm not the only one who's world has been turned upside down by all of this."

It was his turn to sigh then. What Snow had asked of her had been unreasonable and poorly timed but, for as long as he had known the Princess, the bandit and the woman, he can gather - in his reasonable mind - that she'd meant nothing more than to heal the pain that had been brought with her father's return. "I suppose you're right," he admitted cautiously before he turned his head to press a kiss to her temple, leaving his lips there as he closed his eyes and held her tighter "I just don't want you getting hurt again."

Her own arms snaked around his waist, holding him just as tight as she replied "I know," and pressed a kiss to his chest, "but I also know that you'll be here to catch me if I fall again."

He nodded, "always."

 **So, another Snow and Regina interaction next chapter as requested by the lovely Lucretia Cyphus, sorry you have to wait another chapter but I hope you enjoyed this one!**

 **Drop a quick review when you get a chance people, I still don't know how people are feeling about this story and where it's going...**


	9. Chapter 9

David blinked open his eyes slowly, awareness of anything other than the fact that he was alone in their bed escaped him. He felt heavy, a weight cloying and dark within his chest. He felt as though he hadn't breathed properly for some time now.

He missed his wife, missed laying with her at night, talking to her, planning Neal's future and gushing over every little thing he did. He missed his daughter, missed her sarcasm and her quick wit. He missed watching her when she didn't know, missed beaming with pride when she did something as small and unimportant as make herself a bowl of cereal in the morning because she didn't understand how truly brilliant she was. She'd practically raised herself and though an ache still flared up whenever he thought of all of the things they'd missed together, he was so in awe of the woman she'd become all on her own despite all that she'd had to live through.

He missed his grandson, missed waking him up in the mornings with the promise of a day filled with adventure, a day of learning new skills that he couldn't gain in school. They'd planned to begin his sword fighting lessons soon - with both Regina and Emma's permission of course - and he'd been as excited as Henry to start them, to pass down his own nuggets of wisdom and now the boy wouldn't come within a one mile radius of the apartment.

To top it all off, he even missed Regina. He missed the mornings she'd come sweeping into their home, a plan already formulated and set in place using that brilliant - and terrifying - mind of hers whenever a problem arose. He missed their verbal sparring and the little smirks he'd find curling her lips whenever she'd best him or he her. He missed watching her fall in love, missed uncovering those little pieces of her that explained why Snow had kept him from killing her so long ago.

Everything was different now, everything had changed and this time, he wasn't sure how they were going to fix it.

* * *

Snow was in the kitchen when he finally pulled himself up and out of bed, ready and waiting for him with a smile and a cup of coffee - black, one sugar - that he took gratefully from her hands, leaning down to press a loving kiss to her temple as he passed her to stand on her other side. "Neal still down?"

She nodded with a chuckle of relief, "thank goodness," before continuing "I hope this means he's growing out of his early morning screaming."

He let out a breath of laughter as he took a sip from his mug, his free hand moving to rest on the base of her back, rubbing soothingly as they simply sipped at their drinks and breathed together. It was nice, in the silence of a house usually filled with so much life and chaos.

"I don't think Emma came home last night," Snow commented lightly though he could hear the sorrow there, his hand moved in larger passes over the expanse of her back, soothing now instead of just touching as his wife began to shudder with the cries he thinks she's been holding in for this past week. He moves slowly, places his cup down, takes her own from her hand and turns her before folding her into his embrace with his chin resting atop her head whilst her wet cheek pressed against his pajama top over his chest. "What if she doesn't ever come home again?"

"She will," he whispered, holding her tight to him, a lump forming in his throat at the very idea but he had to be the stronger one here and so he pulled forth all of the faith that he had - something he learned to do from the very woman in his arms - and told her "she will, sweetheart. Just give her some time, it's been hard on us all."

She nodded into him, her hands grabbing fistfulls of his t-shirt, grounding herself as best she could. "I know," she admitted, "I know, I know it has." but when he prompted her to further explain the tears he knew were not _only_ for their daughter - he'd always been able to read her so well - she confessed "I think my father is dying" on a choked sob that meant she could only manage the " _again"_ on a forced whisper.

He furrowed his brow pulling back enough to take her face between his hands and ask "why do you think such a thing?"

She shook her head in his hold, eyes closing and releasing more tears that he quickly wiped with his thumbs before she told him "he's fading, David. Every single day he's been here I've watched him grow paler and frailer. He's not supposed to be here, not in this time...not in _any_ time."

He understood her logic and had noticed Leopold's changing appearance himself and though he didn't want to upset her further, he wouldn't give her false hope when his gut told him that Snow's theory was correct. He pulled her back into him, taking her weight when her legs buckled with the force of her sorry and pressing kisses into her hair before whispering "perhaps you should speak with Regina."

He received no reply from Snow but he knew she'd heard and so he would allow her the morning to collect both her thoughts and her emotions before bringing forth the matter again.

* * *

"I wouldn't have taken you for a cuddler, love" was the first thing he whispered when emerald eyes blinked open, crusted with sleep after so long of being asleep. He'd wanted to wake her earlier when he himself had woken but she'd looked so peaceful finally that he hadn't had the heart to do so.

It took her drowsy mind a moment to process his words, her brow furrowing as she waited for full awareness to come back to her before she was asking "what time is it?"

"Judging by the height of the sun," he commented as he looked past her to the round window on the side of his ship, "I'd say it to be no later than 9."

She shifted back a little at that, her frown growing more pronounced. "In the morning!?" she exclaimed incredulously.

He nodded, still smiling easily at her with his face only inches from her own on the pillow they were sharing, "seems you were more tired than you allowed yourself to believe." and when she still looked unbelievably confused at their whereabouts, he told her "I believe we may have fallen asleep in our seats at the diner and our dear Queen decided to help us home."

"Regina?"

"Well," he chuckled, "unless you know another, I believe your assumption to be correct."

She tapped at his arm lightly before snuggling in closer and smiling when she felt his arms wrap around her once more, holding her in place. She breathed him in for a long moment, feeling more rested than she had for a while and concluded, rather sadly, "I think I need to find my own place."

Killian held her closer as he replied "I think you might be right, love."

* * *

"You seem tired," Regina commented softly, eyes tracing features that once used to fill her with so much hatred, with a burning anger that, at times, had frightened her yet now only had her wanting for more simpler things. She'd been relieved when Snow had not only accepted her invitation for a meeting at Granny's but that she'd felt no old desires to harm the woman flaring up within her the moment Snow had stepped through the door and locked gazes with her for the first time since she'd asked her to leave the mansion.

Snow smiled, nodding gently as she replied "a one week old does not a happy mother make," and, as though only just remembering, she added on "but I'm sure you can remember."

The brunette chuckled fondly at the memory of her own little boy, older than what Neal is now but not by too much. "I thought I was going to lose my mind the first week I had him," she confessed before widening her eyes and looking pointedly at the woman sipping tea opposite her, "and to top it all off it was looking as though he liked _you_ better."

"Ah," Snow agreed before arguing "but after that the two of you were practically inseparable. Baby carriers in the office, a high chair ready and awaiting him whenever you brought him here," and both women found themselves wondering if it was, perhaps, still here, tucked away in the back of one of Granny's store rooms. "What changed?"

Regina smiled, eyes distant as she replied "I asked him to give me a chance," and finishing with a shrug "and he did." before she was taking a sip of her coffee, dark eyes still on Snow's.

"I'd rather like to ask the same thing myself," the younger brunette began tentatively with palms curled around the warm ceramic of her tea cup, "but of you, Regina." and before her former step-mother could reply, she continued "it was wrong of me to ask you to meet with my father," she winced at the way Regina cringed, her eyes flashing with a darkness she'd hadn't seen there for some time, "especially so soon after his return. I was insensitive and foolish and I wasn't thinking."

"No, you weren't."

"I wasn't and for that I am so sorry," she willed the brunette to understand, to recognise the desperate plea in her voice, "I don't want to lose what we've been working so hard to build between us, the distance we've covered - you're too important to me." and when Regina remained silent, listening but not replying, she reached forward slowly, giving the woman enough time to move should she want and infinitely grateful when she didn't, and covered the back of her hand with her own. "I've known you for longer than I've known anyone in my life, Regina and though once I wanted nothing more than you out of it, now I couldn't imagine _not_ having you there and this past week…" her head tilted as her expression grew sad, "I feel as though that's a very real possibility."

Her head shook the moment the words left Snow's mouth, her eyes closing as she turned her hand over on the table to allow the former princess' hand to fill it as she promised her "it's not," and explaining "it's the very reason I asked to meet with you today...to mend this rift." And it was Regina's turn then as she began "I could never be a mother to you Snow, not then. I was barely a young woman, thrust into a life I didn't want and given no time to mourn the love I'd lost. It was easier for me to place the blame upon you rather than accept that my mother truly did not love me as I had suspected for all of those years." She shook her head, eyes full of regret as she confessed "I wanted to love you, I did for a time. I thought I could push past it, turn my rage into love like Daniel would have wanted me to but it was just too hard. It was too hard to separate you from..." she swallowed thickly, "from the actions of your father." there was no apology but merely sympathy in her eyes when she found Snow to be crying with her, struggling with the realities of a life she hadn't really known, "he was hurting me whilst you were simply trying to love me and I am sorry for pushing you away. I'm sorry."

It was Snow's turn to shake her head then as she replied "I'm sorry for not seeing your pain, for not understanding that you were hurting."

"You were just a child, Sno-"

"And so were you," the brunette cut her off, fingers tightening around Regina's hand as she acknowledged with anguish coloring her usually bright eyes "so were you."


	10. Chapter 10

He startled slightly when he felt arms snake around his waist and a warm body press against his back, smiling when her scent instantly overwhelmed his senses. He hadn't heard her come home, the click of her heels now forever absent, but he had to say, this kind of a greeting was nothing short of wonderful. He'd been careful of touching her - save for holding her at night - without her consent for fear of frightening her when so many terrible memories had already been brought to the forefront of her mind with Leopold's return and so the feel of her pressed against him had his eyes closing as he hummed a sound of absolute affection as his warm palms moved up to cover the backs of her hands resting on his stomach. "Hello, beautiful." she nuzzled her face into his back and squeezed her arms around him tighter in response. "Nice lunch?"

She nodded and breathed a soft "mhm," into his back, remaining wrapped around him for a long moment more before she let go enough for him to spin in her arms. She was smiling softly when he faced her and instantly slid his hands between her arms and her waist to hold her in return and then she was just looking at him, those beautifully dark eyes slowly tracing over his face as her head tilted in her studying.

"I like the way you look at me," he told her, just an innocent observation that meant nothing more than its literal meaning because he did, he always had, "even when you were contemplating my murder."

She chuckled at that, a wonderful sound in and of itself before she lifted a hand to his cheek, stroked her thumb across the stubbled skin and asked him to meet her halfway with gentle guidance as she lifted herself onto her toes and her eyes fell to his mouth.

It may have she who had lured him closer but it was Robin who dipped his head to capture her soft lips with his own. He hadn't pushed her, hadn't wanted to taint the delicacy of their relationship by moving for something when she wasn't ready. They had shared only a handful of kisses before the return of the late King and afterwards he had done nothing more than press soothing affection along her cheeks and her hairline when she'd awaken shaken and distraught in the night and now he realised how much he'd missed the sweetness of her mouth,

Regina's palm moved slowly from his cheek to the nape of his neck, the other hand flat and resting on his chest over his beating heart as his own arms snaked around her waist and settled at the base of her spine, supporting her stance as their lips parted and closed around one another's in slow and lingering kisses.

It was a kiss not meant for anything more than a simple enjoyment of one another that hadn't truly been felt for the last few days and though he was here for far more than physical relations but still, he couldn't help the loving hum that rumbled low in his throat at the feeling of being close to her once more.

She whimpered quietly when, upon tentatively opening her mouth, his tongue found her own, sliding against it in a toe-curlingly deep kiss. Her hand fisted in his hair as her head tilted more but the pace didn't change, it remained thoroughly slow and absolutely divine until they were pulled out of their embrace by a rather loud " _ew!"_ that had them both turning to find both Henry and Roland cringing from the doorway of the kitchen. Both were surprised - when their minds caught up to their bodies once more - to find that it had been the youngest of the two who had made the exclamation.

"Roland," Regina began with a softly furrowed brow, glad when Robin's arms remained around her waist even as she pivoted a little to see both of their boys more easily, "where did you learn that word?"

He instantly pointed with an innocent nonchalance to the pre-teen rubbing at the back of his neck with a palm, dutifully chastened by the singular eyebrow his mother lifted pointedly. "It just uh…" he shrugged, "slipped out."

"Mhm," she hummed in disbelief before actually looking at the two of them and more specifically, the clothes there were wearing.

"Are we ready to head out?"

She looked from her son to the man behind her when he pressed a kiss to her temple before backing away towards the counter upon which sat a picnic basket that she hadn't noticed upon arrival. "Head out?" she questioned.

He turned with a warm smile before nodding and explaining, "the boys really enjoyed our afternoon out yesterday so I thought we could perhaps take advantage of the warmer days and spend a day down by the lake." He was still smiling but there was uncertainty in his eyes, up until this point he'd allowed her free reign of their days, mainly to keep from distressing her with the thought of leaving the house but after yesterday's success "what do you think?" The question was tentative and he couldn't hide the full extent of hope that laced his words but at her continued silence he backtracked "we don't have to if you would prefer to do something else, I was just-"

She stepped into him once more and silenced him with a kiss that was a mere press of their clothed mouths but no less passionate nor shiver inducing. When they parted she couldn't help but laugh softly at his still closed eyes before she was cupping both of his cheeks with her warm palms and finishing "you were just being a good father." He was touched by her words and it read beautifully in blue eyes that moved between her own when he opened them once more. She smiled lovingly at him before nodding and telling him "I would love nothing more than to spend a day with my boys by the lake."

* * *

The park was quieter than she'd guessed it to be with only a few people having passed by the section that they were currently sitting in during the past hour. The boys were playing with an old set of tennis rackets and a ball she and Henry used to use in the back yard when he'd been younger and though Roland's little legs would soon grow tired, for the time being he was keeping up rather splendidly. Their laughter lifted both her spirits and her heart as she leaned back a little heavier against Robin's chest.

He was sat behind her, his legs bracketing her own as his chin fell to rest on her shoulder and his arms wrapped a little tighter around her waist. All that she could smell was him and all that she could both see and hear were their boys as a light breeze ruffled her hair. It was the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Their picnic basket sat empty of its contents but contained the blanket that they had sat and eaten on. She had promptly folded it up and put it away when they'd finished and he'd looked at her with confusion until she'd removed her flat pumps from her feet and sighed with contentment and explained " _I love feeling the earth beneath my feet, always have."_

He'd smiled at her before he'd pressed a tender kiss to her forehead and whispered " _precious woman"_ against her hairline.

She felt like that when she was with him, precious. She felt it in the way that he held her, in the way he looked at her and talked with her, _listened_ to her. He made her feel as though she was the most important thing in the world with just one expression. She felt cherished. "I'm sorry I disappeared for a little while back there," she whispered softly.

He hummed softly and nuzzled his face into the side of her neck, smiling gently when she allowed her head to loll back against his shoulder to aid the movement before he pressed a kiss there and replied "I think you had a right to, sweetheart."

He was so good, this man, her Robin. So, so very good and pure and patient and though she still believed he deserved someone else, someone he could love freely without judgement and the baggage of her past, she was infinitely grateful that it was her he'd chosen to be with. "You make me better," she told him, tilting her head to press her cheek against his hair when he remained cuddled into her, "you make me _want_ to be better."

He pressed another kiss to her neck before lifting a little and waiting for her to lift her head from his, when she did he lifted a hand from her waist to cup her cheek and began smoothing his thumb along the soft skin covering her cheekbone before telling her "you don't need to be anything other than what you are, Regina" his eyes were honest, his expression tenderly serious as he continued "you are better than you allow yourself to believe, I have seen your heart, I have held it in my own hands and I have stared in awe at every beautiful scar and colour that marks it because it is what make you _you."_ Her eyes were watery with her tears and coloured with uncertainty so he continued, "for most of your life, I know you've been made to feel like the person you are isn't good enough...you were molded and manipulated and forced into changing yourself to please others but know that I don't want that, I don't need you to do that." He shook his head gently from side to side before telling her "Henry loves you for the person you are, as does your son and…" he cleared his throat, suddenly nervous at voicing feelings so very overwhelming but voice them he did as he told her "and I love you, too."

Her lips parted softly, eyes widening a touch as she stared wordlessly at him.

"I don't need you to say it back nor do I assume that you feel the same for it has only been a short time but I want you to know with complete certainty that I _do_ love you, every single version, shade and side of you. You are so very precious to me Regina Mills, never doubt that, okay?"

It was a long moment before she was nodding gently and shifting forward to join their lips in a tender, watery kiss that he reciprocated easily. It lingered and it filled him up with pure unadulterated happiness and when she pulled back his stomach jumped when she swallowed thickly before whispering "I-"

"Get him away from here!"

They pulled apart, both heads turning to find Henry with an almost frightening expression of anger on his young face. Roland was beside him, eyes wide and fearful as he looked from the boy he'd come to think of as something of an older brother, to the same person he was glaring at, the tennis ball clutched between both of his little hands.

Both Robin and Regina turned to look behind them, to understand what had Henry so riled and instantly she tensed when she caught sight of both Snow, David and...Leopold.

"I'm sorry," Snow instantly began apologising, her arm threaded through her father's whilst David flanked his other side, one arm around the man's back and the other out to support him with Leopold's hand curled around his forearm. He looked terrible, as deathly pale and frail as the brunette had described only hours earlier. "I didn't realise you'd be here."

Robin's arms had wrapped themselves back around Regina's waist and she noticed the way the formerly dead King was staring curiously at the pair of them. He said nothing though his expression told her all she needed to know, he still believed he had some kind of claim on here. Here was not the time nor the place to discuss such things but, she realised looking between the Charmings, the late King and her family - because they were, Robin, Henry and Roland, they were her family - that things needed to be hashed out. She needed to be brave.

Regina squeezed gently at Robin's arms, a silent request for him to let her go which he did quite reluctantly, before she was standing slowly and with Robin's aid and walking towards the three on the path.

"Mom!"

"It's fine, Henry" she placated him with a look and a small smile, asking him wordlessly to remain where he was with Roland. He did so, nodding to indicate he understood but she could see the desire to be beside her twitching at his fingertips as he swayed slowly forwards and backwards on the spot. Only when she knew he wasn't going to move did she turn back around and continue forward.

Leopold's eyes were on her, silently watching and it wasn't out of spite that she took Robin's hand but out of her lack of shame. He was her soul mate, he was her courage and he was her fire and she would not hide her feelings for him in the company of others and certainly not the formerly dead King.

Their fingers laced easily and she couldn't help but shoot him a grateful smile before they came to a stop in front of the three.

Her dark eyes trailed from Leopold's thinning grey hair down to his scuffed boots and back up again to find bloodshot eyes watching her. She didn't smile nor did she smile but instead she remained as impassive as was possible as she began "I owe you no explanations nor any of my time but I will, on a time that is agreeable with you all" she looked at Snow and David, her expression softening a little where they were concerned, before looking back to her ex-husband "arrange for us to meet," she squeezed Robin's fingers with her own, a silent request for his presence that was entirely needless, she knew that already, "and lay everything out on the table. I will listen to anything you wish to say but just know," her expression hardened then, eyes growing tight and jaw setting as she leaned in a little closer, Leopold's gaze growing a little more focused with her tone "I no longer belong to you nor am I afraid of you, _kind_ King Leopold."


	11. Chapter 11

He was sitting on his bed, staring down at his storybook and completely lost in thought when he heard the soft knock at his door. He looked up to find his mother behind it, only her head and the hand she'd knocked with - palm now laying flat against the wood - looking at him with a soft smile he'd known too well over the years. He returned it easily, guilt stirring within him at the memory of the times that he hadn't - too many times - before looking back to his book when she entered and padded over to sit on the edge of his bed with one leg bent up beneath her and the other left to dangle with her toes skimming his carpeted floor.

Her face was free of that day's makeup, her hair let free of the tie that had kept it back and away from her face in a ponytail and she was wearing her favourite blue silk pajamas - she looked soft and she looked happy even after today's events.

"You okay, sweetheart?"

He looked up from his book, where his eyes had fallen again - an illustrated portrait of his mother in all of her Queenly regalia open on his bed - before nodding gently with his brow furrowed at the way she watched him, her eyebrows raised, ready for the moment he started shaking his head instead and a dry sob shook his form.

Instantly she was moving up and closer to him, pulling him into her arms in a way that wasn't exactly comfortable with the way his legs were still crossed though he was almost up on his knees but it was soothing all the same. She held him so tight to her and it was then that he realised how much he had missed her hugs and her love. He'd already apologised to her for not being there, for judging her like all others - except Robin of course - had and not listening to her side of the story because she didn't fit his ideals as a hero and he wouldn't bring it up again, she knew the guilt he felt and he was working hard at making up for that but it didn't mean he still didn't feel it, that it didn't upset him when he allowed his mind to wander too far.

He clutched at slippery silk and buried his face into her neck whilst he cried and she rubbed a gentle hand up and down his back as she whispered soothing words in his ear. It only made him cry harder. "What's all this for, hmm?" he didn't answer and she didn't push him to, merely used her free arm to help him untangle his legs so that he could kneel and get closer to her to a point that he was practically on her lap as she rocked them both back and forth on the bed.

It wasn't something he'd really thought about, what with everything that had happened since they'd defeated the Wicked Witch but it was almost an automatic thing when he confessed "I miss Emma."

When the rocking ceased he instantly believed that he'd upset his mother, offended her but instead of growing distant like she used to, instead she pulled him closer to her and replied "then let's rectify that."

"You're not mad?"

Regina pulled back with her brow furrowed, a hand lifting from Henry's shoulder to stroke through his hair as she asked "did you think I would be?"

His head dipped, caught by her fingertips, before he sniffled and nodded, explaining "she brought _him_ back…"

"Oh, honey" she cooed, pulling him back into her, "she thought she was doing the right thing, she didn't know the extent of what he'd done. I don't blame her for this."

He pulled back this time, confused shock on his face when he asked "you don't?"

She took his chin in between her thumb and forefinger as she shook her head, her eyes moving between his. "I had to face my past sometime, Henry and after tomorrow night, I'll be able to put it behind me and truly move on."

He watched her for a long moment more, nodding before slipping his face from her grasp and moving back up on his knees to hug her around the neck and whisper into her ear "I'm so proud of you, Mom."

* * *

After a quick phone conversation with Emma about what she and Henry had discussed - the blonde had sounded close to tears, her throat tight, when she'd accepted the invitation to breakfast the next morning - Regina helped get her son all tucked up and settled in bed, glad that he still allowed her to do such a thing given that he was closer to thirteen than he was twelve, wiped away his tears, kissed his beautiful face and left him with an " _I love you"_ that he returned easily.

She could hear the low rumbling of Robin's voice as she left Henry's room and quietly shut the door behind her. He'd told her that he was going to be putting Roland to bed and that he'd meet her in their room but instead she found herself wanting to see the littlest of the merry men herself so she moved down the hall and towards his 'unofficial' room. They'd have to set something more permanent up now that they were getting things back to normal, or at least as normal could be in their town and home.

Her smile was instant the moment she rounded the doorframe and found Robin kneeling at his son's bedside, his honeyed tones curving over the melody of a song she hadn't heard since she herself was a young girl. When Henry was a child, she'd made sure to keep to lullabies of this world and so she'd forgotten how beautiful a song it was.

She lingered by the doorway for a little longer until Roland's eyelids began to droop, padding quietly over to the edge of the bed and placing a gentle palm upon Robin's back to alert him to her presence before leaning down to press a goodnight kiss to Roland's curls.

"Sleep tight, sweetheart" she whispered against his forehead, smiling when he mumbled a sleepy " _love you"_ with eyes shut and giving a heartfelt "I love you too," back in return.

When she leaned back, she found Robin looking at her with nothing short of adoration in his eyes before he flashed her a warm smile, leant down himself to kiss his son and stood up, offering his hand over the bed to Regina before leading them both towards the door and pulling her into his side when they were clear of the mattress.

* * *

"Have you always wanted children?"

"Always," she replied easily and with a smile that had his own curling higher, "always." Because she had, "even when I was at my worst, when the darkness had a real hold on my heart, the desire for a child of my own, for someone to love in the way that I'd always wanted to - unconditionally - was always strong." She smiled down at the fingers she had twisting together in the gap between her crossed legs, "I'd looked for that love for so long, thinking I'd never _ever_ be able to find it…"

"And then you got your Henry," he finished softly and with an unbearably tender smile. He'd always thought she was at her most beautiful when she spoke of her son, had thought so even on the evenings he'd spent in the courtyard speaking to the broken Queen who'd pushed and pushed and _pushed_ at him until she'd been able to do nothing more than crumble in his arms.

"And then I got my Henry," she repeated with a watery smile that had his head tilting when she looked up at him once more.

"Do you want more?"

It dimmed then, that beautiful smile, growing sad at the edges whilst her brow furrowed in a tender distress that he hated himself for bringing out of her.

"I'm sorry, Regina" he began, moving forward onto his knees to catch her hands with his own and rub his thumbs over the backs of hers, unsure of what pain he'd brought out of her, "I shouldn't have-"

"It's okay," she whispered, "it's okay." and then, after a long pause, she began "it was a long time ago, when my mother still had something of a hold over me." She'd told him bits and pieces about her mother, about her banishment to Wonderland and her numerous returns but not of this one, not yet, "I thought she was orchestrating yet another of her manipulations. She'd told me that she was going to help find my soul mate…" she looked up at him pointedly, "to find _you_ and I thought she had. He had your tattoo and instantly, like the naive little fool I was, I trusted that she was telling me the truth, that she was finally aiding my happiness as opposed to distorting it into what she believed was right."

He curled his fingers around to her palm to squeeze her hand in gentle comfort as he asked "who was he?"

"Some lowlife Sheriff in search of a crown." When Robin's fingers tightened around her hand, she furrowed her brow and asked "you know him?"

He let out a heavy breath and confessed "if it's the same idiot I'm thinking of then yes," and then muttered "I could kill the bastard."

This time it was Regina who squeezed his hand before continuing with her story with his encouragement. "I thought she'd meant for me to bear his children, to birth an heir to my throne whom she could raise to be as cold and as heartless as she after killing me for my crown and so I concocted a potion, to rid her of that opportunity...and to rid myself of the chance of carrying a child." She looked down to their joined hands with tears stinging at her eyes as she confessed "out of everything I've ever done in my life, _that_ is my biggest regret."

"You did what you thought was best at the time," he soothed softly, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand and continuing "who's to say that _wasn't_ her plan?"

Regina shook her head, a tear wetting the back of her hand - he wiped it away the moment it hit - as she confessed "I don't think it was…" and then, "for once, I truly believed that she'd been doing it for _me_. She knew my fondness for children, perhaps she really was looking for my happiness."

He watched her for a long moment more, his head tilted as he studied her beautifully sad features before he tugged on her arm gently, telling her "come here" when she looked up at him curiously.

She smiled gently, touched by his concern before lifting herself onto her knees and allowing him to pull her closer, shifting over the quilt and slipping her feet beneath before waiting for him to settle on his back so that she could lay her head upon his chest. He was so warm and she felt so safe in his embrace. She turned her head to press a kiss to his chest before laying it back down again and letting out a content sigh, releasing the tension of the day with the exhalation.

Robin trailed his fingers up and down the length of her arm, his other hand resting on her waist and holding her close. It was a long moment before he mused aloud "there are other ways of having children," smiling down at her when she lifted her head to look at him with those beautifully vulnerable brown eyes, "you know that better than anyone, my love."

"You'd be willing to adopt?" she asked almost breathlessly, her heart palpitating in her chest as she looked between his kind blue eyes.

He chuckled at her question before replying "would I be willing to take on the challenge of raising children with the love of my life?" her breath hitched audibly at that. He'd already told her that he loved her but claiming a thing such as that clearly had her speechless as her lips parted but no words came out.

Instead she was quickly shifting up and onto her knees before taking his face in her hands and taking his lips in a kiss that had his own hands grasping at her waist as he moaned against her mouth. Her tongue slid against his own the moment his mouth opened in invitation and she shifted impossibly closer to him, whimpering against his lips. "I love you," she confessed during a quick breath for air before kissing him again and giving him no chance to respond or properly absorb the words, "so damn much."

It was the first time in a very long time that those words hadn't had the world crashing down around her the instant they'd been uttered but for once, as he cradled her head in his hand and used the other to aid in settling her on her back in order for him to lay atop her with lips insistent on her own, she felt as though, perhaps, she was finally going to be able to revel in rather than fear love.


	12. Chapter 12

**A short little filler chapter dealing with Henry and Emma and setting us up for the inevitable confrontation between Regina and Leopold. Hope you enjoy! I'm thinking maybe two more chapters of this one guys. I can't believe I'm actually this close to finishing something I never thought I would! Thanks for all of your encouraging words throughout this entire process. Some of you have been following this fic since it was a lonely little prompt on my Tumblr some time last year and you've been loyal ever since so thank you! I hope you enjoy these last few chapters xo**

The dining room table was full of food; pancakes, streaky bacon, sausages, a jug filled with sweet and sticky syrup, a fruit bowl, plain and flavoured yoghurt and a variety of cereals. They'd really gone all out and Regina couldn't deny the enjoyment she'd felt when both she and Robin had been stood hip to hip, cooking and gathering the food together, stealing kisses before the boys made their way downstairs and giggling foolishly at one another. Her declaration the previous night had only aided her healing heart - she felt lighter than she had in a very long time.

Right now they were in the living room, taking a quick moment to themselves whilst Roland and Henry washed up before breakfast. Her arms were wrapped loosely around his neck, his her waist, and their fronts were pressed lightly together as their mouths met over and over in a way that had her pressing closer and closer to him.

He tasted of coffee and syrup and though a part of her wanted to scold him for sneaking a bite of the pancakes before their guest arrived, more of her wanted him to keep kissing her and never stop, especially when he slid his tongue along hers in that way that had her toes curling in her shoes and her arms tightening around his neck.

They hadn't been together in _that_ way yet, not with everything that had been going on but now that things were calming down, now that she was beginning to feel more like the person she wanted to be and not the one she thought she _had_ to be, she found long forgotten urges creeping back in.

There was a heat pooling low in her stomach, one that was getting harder and harder to both ignore and control, so much so that she hadn't even realised she'd been walking Robin backwards until the backs of his knees hit the couch and he dropped down to sit. He was panting and as flushed as she when he looked up at her with hungry blue eyes, whispering "Regina?" to which she merely put a finger upon his lips and moved to straddle his lap with knees on either side of his thighs. The next breath against her finger was shuddered and she couldn't help but chuckle as she looked at him for a long moment with a hand on his shoulder for balance before she was replacing her finger with her lips, curling her palm around the back of his head to keep him in place.

He let out a poorly contained moan when she opened his mouth with her own and instantly deepened the kiss, the force of it knocking his head back to rest upon the back of the couch whilst eager hands found her hips and squeezed as hard as he was able without causing her pain. She had to suppress the need to rock her hips against his own - the boys finding them making out like teenagers on the sofa was one thing but seeing her dry humping Robin into the couch was another thing entirely. With that in mind, she pushed herself up higher onto her knees so that her stomach was against his chest and her hair was curtaining their faces from view as she moved her mouth over his, little whimpers caught in her throat.

"And good morning to you too."

Regina shot back from Robin, their lips parting with a wet smack at the sound of another voice that she was too dazed to recognise as Emma Swan's. The blonde was leaning against the doorframe, smirking at the pair of them as both stared rather dumbfoundedly at her, unable to come up with any plausible excuse for their mid-morning makeout in their current headspace.

"You two finish up," she rolled her eyes with an amused smirk, pushing herself back up straight before shaking her head "I'm gonna help the boys dish up." and disappearing from view.

Robin's hands had moved to her waist, breath still coming heavily though it seemed he'd managed to find himself quicker than Regina as he began laughing beneath her. She turned with eyes wide and lips still parted and wonderfully kiss swollen before she smacked a hand upon his chest and chided "it's not funny!" even as her own chest began bouncing with her laughter.

"Not funny, huh?" he raised his eyebrows amusedly, loving the way she shook atop him before he tightened his grip on her waist and pushed himself up enough to drop her on her back on the sofa with knees on either side of his hips and a soft yelp of surprise falling from her lips. He didn't give her long before he was kissing her again but this time he kept it chaste, moving from her lips to her cheeks, her brow, her closed eyes and back to her lips again, reveling in her joy, the joy he was able to bring out in her.

Her dark eyes were electric when they opened once more to look at him, one hand moving up from its place on his shoulder to stroke through his mussed hair as she smiled beautifully. "I love you," she whispered, a small amount of fear still finding its way into her expression with the fairly new confession but she held steady.

He was quite sure that if she were to pull his heart from his chest, it would be glowing and twice the size of a normal heart at the moment. "I love you, too" he shook his head before ducking his head down to capture her lips in a kiss a little longer and almost unbearably tender before whispering "my precious Regina," and delighting in her soft breath of laughter against his jaw.

* * *

"Good of you to join us," Emma teased from her place at the table, her eyes falling to their joined hands for a moment before she met Regina's gaze once more with an infectiously wide smile.

Henry was beside her, working away at a large stack of syrup covered pancakes with an ease that told her they'd perhaps used the time she and Robin had been given by the blonde to talk. Roland was happily chewing away at his bacon, his head bobbing from side to side as he hummed tunelessly.

She ruffled the fingers of her free hand through his messy curls before moving over to the head of the table, glad when Robin kept their fingers laced even as he sat down to her right. Her cheeks were beginning to hurt with her smile but she didn't care, not when she looked up and found her family, with the addition of a tentative new friend, all enjoying the breakfast she and Robin had put together and one another's company. Things were not right just yet but they were most certainly getting there.

* * *

She peeked in through the open living room door, smiling at the sight of Henry and Emma on the sofa with arms wrapped around one another as they rocked gently from side to side. They'd been speaking for the better part of the past hour, the blonde giving Henry the opportunity to explain why her part in bringing Leopold back had been the easiest thing to focus on and that she'd been the easiest to blame for it despite there being no malice in her actions.

Regina was proud of him for it. She hadn't pushed during the times he'd refused to speak to his other mother but she certainly hadn't encouraged their estrangement and seeing them now, talking it through properly, had her smile remaining as she moved into the kitchen.

Robin was at the sink, washing dishes with his back to her and humming softly to himself. He startled when she moved close enough to snake her arms around his waist, pressing her front to his back and resting her cheek between his shoulders with a warm hum. "Hello there, beautiful" he chuckled softly, placing the dish he'd been washing in the drying wrack before drying his hands on a dish towel. "You okay?" he asked after a long moment, laying his hands atop the backs of hers before asking her to let go enough for him to turn.

Her smile was warm, her eyes creased with the expression as she looked up at him with her palms on his chest. His own had fallen to her waist, their torsos pressed together. "More than okay," she replied softly, dropping her head into his hand when he lifted one to cup her cheek and stroke his thumb across her cheekbone affectionately.

His kind blue eyes trailed over her features as he looked at her in that way she absolutely adored before he dropped his head enough to capture her lips within his own in one of the more tender kisses they'd ever shared. It was absolute bliss. He didn't go far when he pulled back, nudged his nose against her own before he told her "I want to take you out," he dipped his head to press a lingering kiss to her neck before continuing "show you off," one on the other side, "give us a chance to dress up, to dance beneath the stars." He lifted his head again, eyes on her smiling lips as he asked "a night for just the two of us, would that be okay?"

It was Regina who lifted herself then, enough to press her lips to his once more before she nodded and replied "I would love that."

He breathed out a soft laugh against her mouth as he whispered "good," and "I love you."

"I love you, too" she replied easily before sliding her arms up to hang around his neck and stealing some more kisses before they'd have to go back to hosting. A date with Robin sounded like absolute perfection and whilst she couldn't wait, tonight she was going to finally confront Leopold, to set herself free of his hold. Free to live and free to love for once in her dark, dark life.


	13. Chapter 13

Their footsteps echoed rather ominously through the small hallway as they climbed the stairs to Snow's apartment with fingers clutched tight together. They'd called a half hour before to warn the Charmings of their plan - she knew they'd assumed she'd drag this meeting out but in all honesty, she just wanted to get it done and get back to normality...or at least _their_ version of normality.

Henry had demanded he join them, that he be there to protect her and to stand up for her and though the thought of having her son close by comforted her, the thought of him knowing the extent of her suffering at the hands of the King quelled that desire. In his innocence she knew he believed that the abuse she'd suffered had been purely physical and whilst most of it had, she didn't want him learning about the horrors of the world by eavesdropping.

He'd protested when she'd told him he couldn't come, had been close to tears with his frustration but he'd listened when Robin had told him that Roland needed him, he'd calmed when the archer had pointed out that his son didn't really know Emma yet - she'd offered to stay and look after the boys with a somber look to Regina - and that having Henry at home would keep him from getting scared.

Henry had still wanted to come but, with one last look at Regina - she'd been close to breaking, her distress at the entire situation so very clear in dark eyes - he'd nodded and he'd promised to stay behind before burying himself in his mother's embrace.

"We can do this another time, you know" Robin soothed quietly when they reached the first floor landing, squeezing her hand gently and tilting his head to catch her gaze. She looked terrified. "You owe him nothing, just as you said."

She nodded, licking her lips before swallowing heavily and replying "I know," on a low whisper before turning her head to meet his eyes with her own and explaining "I just feel that this has hung over me for so long now and…" she shook her head, "it sounds silly but I feel as though once we've done this, once I've finally confronted him in a way that I never could before…"

"You'll be free," he finished for her with a kind and understanding smile that had tears pricking in her lovely eyes as she nodded solemnly before falling into his open arms and fighting back the heavy sobs he knew were building within her. She wouldn't go in there looking weak, something he knew as he whispered "build up those walls, my love" and then "he can't hurt you any more."

The atmosphere was heavy and weighted as Snow set about fixing everyone a cup of tea. It was unnecessary and only made the whole thing feel a lot more awkward than it already was with only the clink of china cutting through the terse silence but this was never going to be easy.

She'd asked, when she'd called earlier, for Snow to remain impartial in this if she were to stand witness to it all and though she knew it would be hard for the girl, she hoped it was a request she could grant. Regina had been her hero at one point in her life and now, now the truth of those years was going to come out.

They were sitting at opposite ends of the table, Regina and Leopold, like warring leaders with their council filling the remaining seats on either side. Robin sat with his hand and her thigh beneath the wood, something she knew her former husband had caught with his cold grey eyes - he still saw her as his wife, his property - but she wouldn't shake Robin's touch from her skin, not ever. David sat closest to her whilst Snow, when she'd finally finished, sat down beside her father and allowed the silence to envelope the room completely.

He looked far worse than he had the previous day, frail and weak in his seat opposite her but there was still a strength in his eyes that only lit the burning rage in her very bones. He didn't belong here, he didn't belong in this time or this world and so the universe was taking his stolen soul. He was dying. It quelled her desire to kill him where he sat for this death would be drawn out, torturous and though she felt a little flare of sympathy for Snow, she felt nothing but gratitude for the work of the fates.

"Your hair was always one of your more prettier features, Regina" Leopold commented after a long moment, his voice weaker than she thought he'd meant it to be and though Robin's grip tightens on her thigh - it doesn't hurt, just has her pre-emoting his need to stand up for her and so she drops her own hand to rest over his, a silent request for his patience - she does nothing but laugh softly and humourlessly.

"You always did value an object's material value over anything else."

He shrugged the comment and her laughter off, something that seemed to take more energy than he could really afford but he remained arrogant despite his waning health. "And I always put that pretty little mouth of yours to far better use than that, didn't I Regina?"

She tensed in her seat, ignoring the gasp of disgust that escaped Snow - she looked disgusted at her father, a sadness in her round eyes that told Regina that _finally_ she was beginning to see what she'd missed as a child.

"Oh don't be so prudish, Snow" her father intoned with a roll of his grey eyes, the last of his kindness no doubt taken with his health, "you have two children, I'm sure you are aware of what a marriage entails."

Her jaw set as she turned her body towards her father and told him "trust, honesty, love and respect." She shook her head slowly, "or so mother taught me."

Leopold softened somewhat at the mention of Eva, pulling a shiver from Regina as she remembered those awful nights in which he'd find himself too lost in his mind and cry out for his late wife whilst his young bride lay trembling and sobbing beneath him, waiting for the torture to end. Robin must have felt it for he tugged gently on her arm, a silent request for her to look at him and when she did, she could see the loving concern in his deep blue eyes, _we can always leave._ She shook her head, a wordless assurance that she was okay and it wasn't a complete lie.

Still, his gaze lingered for a moment longer before he flashed her an encouraging smile and rubbed his thumb up the length of hers, _I'm with you._ She nodded and managed a small smile back before looking back down the table to find Leopold staring at them.

"Our marriage still stands, Regina" he looked between her and Robin, eyes lingering on their touching upper arms where their hands were joined beneath the table before continuing "in our land you would have been dragged through the streets with your hands and feet tight, allowing all of the Kingdom to see you for what you really are," and when she merely raised an eyebrow in response, he leaned forward and spat "a whore!"

David saw what was going to happen before the rest of them did so when Robin jumped up from his seat in his rage - face already reddening and fists curling tight when he let go of Regina's hand - the prince was able to both steady the furniture with a palm pressed flat against it and press a hand to Robin's chest for the archer looked set to leap across the wooden surface and finish the King off himself.

"You do not get to speak to her like that." he warned, heeding Charming's request for him to stay put but remaining on his feet, fingers linking with Regina's when she stood to slide her hand down his arm and over his wrist in order to calm him.

Leopold merely smirked, looking between them and asking "you're fucking her, are you not?" Robin's jaw set as Snow's eyes fell to the ground, her face crumpling with the destruction of the man she'd once known to be nothing but good, a man she truly hadn't known at all. The King didn't stop though, he leaned forward once more and grinned "is she still as tight as she used to be?"

It was Regina this time who stopped Robin from murdering Leopold where he sat as she jumped between them and threw her hands up, magic creating a barrier on both sides of herself. She looked to Robin with tears in her eyes as she whispered "not worth it."

He wanted to defend her, she could see it so clearly in his expression. He was torn, torn between listening to her and following the strong urge to shut the King up forever but after a few moments, he finally sighed heavily and nodded, his stance growing lax and his shoulders dropping. She mouthed a silent 'thank you' before inhaling a steadying breath and turning to look at Leopold. No more games and no more procrastinating.

"I want a divorce."

Snow's head snapped up as Leopold's tilted in confusion, clearly not the beginning either of them had expected but it had been the easiest place to start in Regina's mind.

"Your daughter will explain to you what such a thing is after we have left," she looked back to Robin with nothing but gratitude in her eyes when he stepped up behind her but made no move to go past her - a supportive warmth at her back, her strength - before turning back to the King "but essentially it will end our marriage for good." A snarl curled at her lip as she looked him up and down and warned "you no longer own me, no matter what you may think. I am not yours and if you even _think_ that having me first means _anything_ " she practically spat, "then you are deadly wrong and not that it is _any_ of your business but no, Robin is not fucking me but when he does, when he does make love to me," she amended as her expression softened at the thought, "it will be because I wish it too, it will be because I want to just as much as he does and not because I am obliged to do so." She leaned forward enough to plant a hand upon the tabletop as she told him, "you may have had a part of me," she shook her head at she stared at him with pity in her eyes, "but the man behind me will have _all_ of me and not because he or anyone else says so," she growled with tears streaming down her face that she ignored, "but because _I_ have said so, because I have _chosen_ to."

She stood straight once more, lacing her fingers with Robin and holding tight to his hand before beginning the walk towards the apartment door, their cups of tea left cold and forgotten on the tabletop. She stopped at the door though, turning to find the man still facing the other way and shaking her head at his back before finishing "the papers will be with you by morning," and stepping out through the door she'd pulled open, not looking back as she left the King's company for the very last time with her soul mate in tow


	14. Chapter 14

They were laying in her bed on their sides, nestled close together with Regina's back to Robin's front, the backs of her thighs bracketed by the tops of his. His arms were wrapped around her small waist beneath the covers and his lips were pressed to the skin of her shoulder as he whispered "I am so proud of you, Regina." because he was, incredibly so.

She didn't say anything in return for a long moment, just basked in the feel of his love for her as she reached down to unhook one of his hands from her stomach to lift the back of it to her lips, kissing the skin and allowing him to lace their fingers before bringing it back down to rest on her stomach once more. They'd put the boys to bed hours ago, before the darkness of night had truly begun to set in and so she was able to rest easy knowing they'd both be settled and deep in sleep. "Thank you."

He nuzzled into her in response, lifting his legs higher and wrapping his arms around her a little tighter as he exhaled a shuddered breath against her skin and allowed his tears to begin falling. "You are so precious to me, my darling." He pressed his forehead against the back of her neck, "I will never hurt you as he did," he shook his head against her, " _never."_

She moved to turn in his arms but, with the way he was holding her so close to him, she couldn't, not until she breathed a gentle "Robin…" that had him swallowing thickly before loosening his grip enough to allow the movement. Her cheeks were dry when she finally settled on the pillow they were sharing but her eyes were shimmering in the gentle light of the lamp on his bedside table, her brow furrowed as she lifted a hand to cup his cheek with a soft palm and whispered "I don't doubt that, my love." He continued to cry quietly though he kept his eyes on her as she went on to reassure him. "You have treated me with more kindness than I have ever known," her thumb stroked through the wetness beneath his eye as hers moved between his own, "with more patience and more tenderness than I could have ever hoped for despite my past sins." Her head shook as a tear finally fell from her eye though it was not one of sadness as she whispered "I love you with all that I have and all that I am."

"And I you," his voice quivered with his continued cries though she could tell that her words were calming his own sore heart.

She smiled gently, softly before leaning forward and pressing a chaste but no less passionate kiss to his lips and breathing "sleep now, my heart" that smile only deepening when he nodded and pressed one last kiss to her lips before guiding her head down to tuck beneath his chin and wrapping his arms around her once more with a deep and calmer breath ruffling the hair atop her head

"Would you feel up to that date tomorrow night?"

She smirked, lips curving against his skin because of course he'd still be thinking of taking her out even with a voice still trembling, even as he was still sniffing back tears.

"Little John will take the boys for the evening."

"Will he take them for the night?"

His arms tightened a little around her at that, the meaning behind her question quite clear, and she wasn't surprised when he moved to tell her "Regina, if you're not-"

"I'm ready," she lifted her face from his chest and tilted back enough to look him in vividly blue - if a little bloodshot - eyes, hoping to convey her sincerity, her excitement as she continued "I'm ready to smile again, to laugh again. I'm ready to go out for a nice meal with my soul mate," his crystal eyes sparkled at that as he grinned down at her and lifted a hand from her waist to stroke back errant strands from her forehead, listening intently as she continued "I'm ready to dance and to feel like a normal woman for once in my life and then," she leaned in to nuzzle her nose against his, her voice a gentle whisper, "when I'm all danced out," she tightened her arms around his waist, "I want to come home and make love to you until the sun has long since risen." She chuckled softly at the thick gulp he took, the way his fingers pulsed against the small of her back, "is that okay with you?"

Robin's nod was almost instant, his nose rubbing against her own, his face free of anything other than an adorable shock that she knew came from her bold plan for the following evening.

Her eyes crinkled with her smile as she joined their lips once more, laughing against his mouth when he moved with her when she tried to pull back to allow the kiss to linger for a moment longer, not willing to let her go just yet but when he did she merely chuckled and patted his bicep. "Now, get some sleep," she turned in his arms, pulling them around her once more when she'd settled and promising "you're going to need your rest, tomorrow's a big day."

* * *

She startled with an amused yelp when strong arms came to wrap around her waist and a warm chest - still blessedly bare - was pressed to her back. She hadn't heard him come down.

"Good morning, beautiful" he nuzzled his face into her neck, pressing a kiss to delicate skin and delighting in the shiver it pulled from her as she hummed low in her throat and proceeded to flip the pieces of bacon she had sizzling in the pan. The picture of domesticity.

She turned only her head, tilting it down to rub her cheek against him much like a cat would with their owner - he didn't own her, didn't even pretend to but the affection implied was most certainly there - and grinning at the way he lifted his head from her neck to seek her lips with his own.

She'd thought it to be a brief kiss of greeting, just a simple 'hello' from one love to another but when their lips parted and he moved a hand up to cup the back of her head, bringing their mouths back together once more in a way far more than chaste, she found herself automatically moving the pan from the burner before finding the dial with nothing but touch and turning the stove off.

He dropped both hands to her hips, fingers pulsing there before indicating for her to turn with a little more pressure on her right side. It was early, the boys wouldn't be up for another hour at least and it seemed Robin planned to take advantage with parting lips and a sliding tongue that had Regina moaning rather eagerly into his mouth as she lifted her arms to loop around his neck, pulling herself against him, in need of more of him, always more.

"You taste like coffee" he murmured against her lips in a break for air.

"I'll fix you a cup."

"Later," he grunted before, quite suddenly, sinking down low enough to wrap his arms around her thighs, just beneath her rear, to pick her up and turn them both. She let out a small squeal of surprise that was soon masked when he lifted his head to connect their lips once more, shuffling over to the kitchen island in order to deposit her atop the countertop and fit his body in between her parted legs.

Her palms cupped his cheeks as she tilted her head to change the angle of their kiss, deepening it with an eagerness that he matched.

He lifted one hand to thread his fingers through her hair as the other dropped to grip at her thigh, kept from bare skin by the black yoga pants she was wearing. She was quite sure that he was ready to rip them from her body completely with the way his nails were scraping over them, she was quite sure that she'd let him if he tried.

Arousal burned hot in her stomach as they kissed and kissed and kissed and when she shifted atop the counter, she felt the slick slide of her panties that reminded her just how he affected her and how much she wanted him.

God, she wanted to let him take her right here on the-

"Gross!"

Their lips parted with a wet smack, breathing ragged as they turned to find Henry standing in the doorway staring at them with a grimace.

"We eat there!"

"H-Henry" Regina stammered, hands still holding Robin's face as though she'd forgotten they were there - he was still gripping her thigh, the other hand having fallen from her hair to rest fingertips on her collarbone, "wh-"

"You know what," he shook his head, still cringing, "I'll be in the living room." And with that, he turned on his heels and disappeared from sight, leaving a very perplexed and blushing couple to gather themselves.

* * *

"So, that's it?" Henry asked from his place on her bed, his legs crossed upon the quilt as he awaited her return from inside the closet, "no more Leopold?"

She frowned at the sound of his name falling from such innocent lips but pushed her disgust away, she'd done what she'd needed to. "He'll still be around, I suppose" _though for how much longer?_ "But yes," she sighed, smoothing down the fabric of her dress before padding barefoot back out into her bedroom, "no more Leopold for _us_ at least."

Henry nodded thoughtfully, no doubt worry still niggling at the back of his young mind - he was desperate to protect her and whilst it warmed her heart, it also concerned her. He'd been tense lately and far too stressed for a boy of his age - before he seemed to shake it off and looked her over with a wide smile. "You look really pretty, Mom."

"I'm not even ready yet, sweetheart" she chuckled fondly, making her way over to her vanity table and sitting down upon the stool, catching her son's eye in the mirror and shaking her head affectionately.

He shrugged, "you still look pretty."

"Well," she coughed lightly to clear her throat, her cheeks flaming a gentle red as she smiled softly at her boy, "Thank you."

"It's only the truth" he shrugged again and _god,_ what had she done to deserve this precious angel? "Robin will back me up."

At the mention of his name, Regina cleared her throat once more, a little anxiety tickling at her stomach as she began "Henry," waiting for his full attention to be on her before she continued, "About earlier, I'm sorry abo-"

"It's okay, Mom" Henry stopped her with a grimace that told of his young age, "We don't need to talk about it. I get that people kiss when they're in love but could you just…" he cringed, "I don't know...keep it to yourselves?"

Her lips parted at his simple but powerful statement, the question on her lips of how he could possibly know that they were in love when they'd only recently told one another but again, he cut her off with a roll of his eyes.

"I probably knew before you guys did," was his way of explanation, as though it were the easiest thing to have guessed in the world, "you look at each other like Grandma and Grandpa do," and before she could threaten to take his phone away for such a terrible thing, he amended "only less googly and more...more like regular people, I guess." and when his mother only continued to smile at him - that smile she got whenever anyone said or did anything nice to her, as though such a thing had never really happened to her. It hadn't, not really - he smiled back and told her, quite simply "it's nice."

* * *

The boys had both said their goodbyes to her upstairs, Little John having arrived to take them, duffle bags and all and he'd laughed - the sound surprising Regina - when she'd made him - upon beckoning him up the stairs to her - promise to check in with her and Robin later that night and let them know that the boys were doing okay.

" _These men are made for the woods!"_ He'd exclaimed, patting the littlest and the newest - Henry had flushed with pride when Little John had called him so - member of the Merry Men on the backs before withering a little under Regina's glare and agreeing that " _yes, I will text you just before I send them off to dreamland."_ and then, with one last hug from Henry and a rather sloppy kiss upon her cheek from Roland, they'd disappeared leaving Regina alone to finish her makeup and Robin downstairs waiting for her. Or, at least, that's what she had thought.

It's on the third consecutive knock that Regina finds herself rising from her seat and moving towards the hallway, curling her palms over the banister and calling out "will you please get that, Robin?" only to hear absolutely no answer nor movement from below except another round of knocking and it twists anxiety in her gut because she'd heard him say goodbye to their boys only a half hour ago and she could get it herself, she's ready, had been psyching herself up to face Robin dressed up as she was and now she doesn't really want to ruin the surprise but it doesn't seem that he's here anyway so she begins making her way down the stairs with her brow furrowed and her mind doing overtime.

 _What if he's gone? After everything, what if he just left?_

 _No_ , she decided, _stop being such an idiot. He's a far better man than that._

She shook her head free of her damning thoughts and inhaled a deep breath, hoping that whoever stood on the otherside of the door wouldn't mind the abrupt goodbye she was going to give them before searching the house for Robin. The thought that he could possibly simply be in the bathroom had her chuckling a little and the weight on her shoulders lessening just as she curled her fingers around the door handle and pulled down to open the door to find…"Robin?" standing on the other side with a warm smile and a red rose held by the stem between his index finger and thumb. He looked absolutely unbelievable in denim pants that showed off his thick, toned legs and a black button down shirt that she wanted to tear open with her bare hands. "What are you doing?" she managed after a long moment of simply staring at him, one he seemed to have taken to do the very same if the look on his face was anything to go by.

His eyes had lifted from the long black dress she had decided on, the bottom quarter a rim of ruffles and the top, the neckline, revealing just a hint of cleavage, to look over her hair - she'd curled it, loose waves that she'd run her fingers through for even more volume and she'd decided she'd quite liked the look, judging by his reaction however, she decided that she loved it -before blue eyes trailed over every inch of her face.

Her makeup was far lighter than it used to be but still, she'd outlined dark eyes with a slick of kohl and painted her lips red. Her lashes had been curled and painted with mascara and her cheeks had a dusting of highlighter that gave her a beautifully dewy glow. It was something she hadn't really tried before and a stab of insecurity still flared within her stomach.

He didn't let it stew for long however but instead lifted his free hand to bring one of hers to his lips in order to drop a tender kiss there before answering her question. "I have come to spend a wonderful evening eating and dancing and laughing," she smiled at his repetition of the words she'd used the night before, "with the most beautiful woman that I have ever laid eyes on."

Her cheeks tinted pink as her lips parted and she found she couldn't look away from his kind and loving gaze.

"Would you do me the honour of accompanying me?"

"Well, I am all dressed up…" she tried their usual banter - much to his apparent delight with the way his grin widened - and ignored her breathlessness before allowing him to lace their fingers and begin pulling her out of the front door.

He smirked with absolute affection in his eyes as he looked her over once more and gave back "and what a shame it would be to keep such beauty from the world."

And wow, she thought as she fell into step beside him, lifting her other hand to cross over her body and grip his bicep lightly as they walked, what a shame indeed.


	15. Chapter 15

They were pressed together, swaying to the tuneful beginnings of a song that Regina hadn't realised she'd loved until this moment - perhaps she hadn't, perhaps it was just the feeling of being here with him, fingers interlaced and temples resting together - and she found herself uncaring of anything else other than she them.

The restaurant was barely full, only a few patrons remaining at this hour and she was sure they'd be asked to leave soon for the night was moving on to morning but it seemed they were quite content to wait for that request as the band played on.

Dinner had been wonderful, they'd spent most of it smiling like idiots at one another around mouthfuls of succulent chicken and tender steak. He'd whispered a warning 'Regina' when she'd sampled his offered food, his fork sliding slowly from between her lips in a way that'd had him shifting in his seat with the growing tightness in his pants.

They'd shared a decadent chocolate fudge cake for dessert - Regina's pupils had blown wide with arousal as she'd watched Robin suck the remaining sauce from his fingers, thoughts of him licking them clean of something else flashing through her torturous mind - before he'd asked her to dance.

And now here they were.

He was humming along to the song introduction, his tone wonderfully rich and shiver inducing as his palm rubbed gently over the small of her back and the fingers of his other hand laced tighter around her own.

"Some day, when I'm awfully low

When the world is cold

I will feel a glow just thinking of you

And the way you look tonight"

She gasped, pulling back enough to look into smiling blue eyes, her own wide with surprise as she asked "you know this song?"

Instead of answering, he merely winked and continued, moving them a little quicker with faster steps that had her releasing a breathy chuckle and simply enjoying his attentions and wonderful voice.

"Yes, you're lovely, with your smile so warm

And your cheeks so soft

There is nothing for me but to love you

And the way you look tonight"

Her grin softened as did he with the lyrics he was singing, his smile heart achingly tender as he tipped his head forward to nudge the side of her nose with his own in order to catch her smiling mouth in an unbearably soft kiss that had her sighing a shuddered breath through her nose as she melted into him, the band still playing around them.

The arm she had around his waist withdrew, her palm sliding across the fabric of his shirt, trailing it around his side until she was able to move it up and to hold his head in place, keeping him close to her as their lips parted with a gentle pop and she tilted her head to draw him into a deeper and more heady kiss, their tongues sliding slowly together in a way that had her whimpering softly into his mouth.

His fingers curled and clutched at the fabric of her dress where it rested still in the small of her back and his own hand moved into her dark curls. He tasted of red wine and of chocolate, a heady combination that she was sure she too shared. It was absolutely delicious, her senses on a high that was only broken with a gentle cough from their server.

Robin turned to look at him, releasing an almost silent grunt of frustration having been interrupted whilst Regina dropped her forehead to rest against his neck as she laughed nervously. They'd gotten a little bit carried away with themselves it seemed - again.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," the waiter apologised genuinely and kindly, his smile warm when she finally lifted her head to look at him and she found herself rather surprised that it was meant for her as much as it was Robin, "but we will be closing shortly."

Looking to the watch on her wrist, Regina could see why, it was close to 12:30 in the morning. "No problem," she told him with a shy smile, "we'll get out of your way."

"There's no rush," he assured her with a pleasant smile, "take your time," and then, just before he turned, he told them both "it's been a pleasure to have you both tonight." and with that, he left them both and headed back towards the bar.

Robin's nose traced along her hairline as he chuckled and asked "take a walk with me?" wrapping strong arms around her waist and pulling her side against his front.

She turned only her head, eyebrows raised in question as a smile played about her lips - she was still a little shocked at the waiter's parting comment in all honesty - she wanted to make a comment about getting him home and into her bed, about continuing their embrace without interruption but there was something in his eyes that merely had her nodding in response.

* * *

The sand was cool beneath her feet, grains sliding beneath soft skin as her fingers laced tighter with Robin's. Her shoes were dangling from the fingertips of his free hand whilst she held up the skirt of her dress with her free hand, allowing the gentle night breeze to blow about her bare legs.

It was nearing 2am and though she was growing tired, the intimacy of walking hand in hand with her lover, with nothing but the sound of the rolling waves and their gentle breathing meant that she found she didn't quite care. She'd happily trade a good night's sleep for this.

"Are you cold?" Robin asked from his place beside her, already taking off his leather jacket despite her shaking head. He dropped it around her shoulders before draping his arm around them for good measure and pulling her closer to him, smiling when she wrapped her own arm around the small of his back and rested her other palm upon his chest. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head and whispered "I love you, you know that right?"

"Of course I do," she replied easily, snuggling in closer against him. "Just as I love you."

"Does it ever surprise you?" he asked, lips brushing her temple as he spoke, "how quickly we fell for one another?"

Her shoulders rose and fell in a gentle shrug, "We're soul mates," as though no other explanation were needed. "This is how it's supposed to be, how we're supposed to feel, right?"

He hummed his agreement, "It certainly does feel right," and then pressed a kiss to her hair and whispered "it feels amazing."

"What does?"

"Loving you," he answered easily.

She pulled back from him with a palm pressed to his chest for leverage, the other still around his back as her lips parted softly. No one had ever said such a thing to her before and the very thought that anyone could actually enjoy loving her let alone love her at all had tears stinging at her eyes and spilling over the very moment she blinked. "Do you really mean that?"

He stilled their walking with a tender chuckle and drew her hands from his body, taking them within his own and rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles. "Of course I do, my darling."

Her head tilted into the palm that rose to cup her cheek, laughing wetly when he caught a tear on his thumb and rubbed at the wetness.

Robin looked at her for a long moment, absolute adoration in blue eyes before he chuckled fondly and the whispered "come here you," and guided her face towards his own for a wonderfully tender kiss that she gladly accepted with fingers curled around his wrists when he lifted his free hand to hold the other side of her face.

It was like nothing she'd ever felt before, being with him. They simply fit together.

Their kiss was soft, slow and deliciously deep. Mouths melding over one another's as tongues slid together. She loved kissing him and not just these toe-curlingly fantastic kisses. She loved the press of his lips to her skin, her neck, her shoulder just because he couldn't help it. She loved the warm hum he'd release when she'd do just the same. She loved how he couldn't resist pressing his lips to her own and gentle busses during conversation, when they'd smile against one another's mouths like foolish teenagers in love. And she loved how close he'd pull her in moments like these, not being able to get enough of her just as she couldn't him.

She'd have ignored her phone just to continue indulging if it wasn't for the memory of the late hour breaking through her fog of arousal.

"Who the he-"

"It's Emma," she frowned after pulling her phone from her purse, Robin's palms warm on her hips as he looked down with her. "It could be about Henry…"

"Answer it," he nodded, "I don't mind."

She watched him for a moment more, almost searching for the lie absent in his eyes before nodding and smiling when he pressed a kiss to her forehead before pressing the receive button and lifting the phone to her ear. "Emma?"

He dropped his head to press lingering kisses against the skin of her neck as he waited, smiling when she tilted her head to give him more space to cover as he waited patiently for her to finish her conversation, hoping it was nothing dire. They'd experienced enough drama to last them a lifetime by now.

"When?" she asked, pulling his attention away from her fragrant neck and back to her face to find her expression as unreadable as her tone. Her dark eyes met his as she nodded in response to whatever Emma was telling her before the movement stopped and she responded "well, thank you for telling me. Goodnight Emma."

She said nothing after ending the phone call, merely looked down to the cell phone held in her hand with a furrowed brow and so he waited patiently. He wasn't going to ask, it was her choice whether or not to tell him just what she'd just been told and he'd have been perfectly content if she'd kept it to herself but he'd never deny the surprise he felt at the four words that left her mouth only moments later.

"The King is dead."

And that he wasn't expecting.


	16. Chapter 16

**A little filler chapter before the last one. I think there will be an epilogue after the last chapter but I'm undecided yet.**

 **Note the rating change.**

Gentle fingers drew light circles over her clit, pulling soft sighs from her as her eyes fluttered closed. She was wet, almost embarrassingly so but with the way Robin had gasped when his fingers had first slipped over her and consequently groaned wantonly in her ear, she couldn't find the shame in it.

Her own hand was tucked inside the waistband of his boxers, slim fingers wrapped around his length as she stroked him gently. His lips were on her neck, suckling at the skin in a way that had her whimpering yet would leave no mark.

They were facing one another, lying beneath the thin sheets on their bed and revelling in the quiet of the early morning. Neither had slept yet, both still a little too keyed up from the news they'd received only a couple of hours before and in need of a little human contact.

What Regina didn't know, however, was that Robin was simply waiting her out.

She'd done nothing more than inform him of what Emma had told her and he hadn't pushed for any sort of reaction, she need time to process it all but she hadn't taken it yet. So he kept his touch light, the pace slow, the intention only love and he could feel it, her mask slowly cracking as he coaxed her further, her hand slowing its pace distractedly.

He lifted his face from her neck, dropping a lingering kiss beneath her ear before pulling back enough to look at her beautiful face. Her eyes were closed, brow gently furrowed as she fought for breath. She wasn't on the edge as it would appear, wasn't close to coming on his hand with an expression of complete ecstasy - instead she was fighting back the tears he knew she needed to let free.

Robin leaned forward enough to press his lips to her forehead and whispered "Just let go, my love," fully prepared when a pained sob escaped from her parted lips. He slipped his hand from between them, moving it instead to wrap around her waist as he pulled her the short distance across the bed until she was fully in his arms and could grasp and claw at him as she let it all loose.

She fit so perfectly in his arms, surrounded by the comfort and the safety of him as the reality of tonight hit home. "I'm free…" she gasped for breath, pressing tighter against him, "I'm free."

* * *

She wasn't asleep, he could feel the way her long lashes fluttered against his neck with every slow blink. Her crying had stopped some time ago but she'd yet to pull back from his embrace.

Their legs were tangled beneath the sheets, arms wrapped low around one another's waists and bodies pressed together intimately. She was warm against him and he was just shy of half hard still for her. "Are you okay, my love?"

She nodded against him, nuzzling closer for a long moment as she let out a deep sigh before she grew still and it was a stillness that had rubbing a soothing palm the length of her bare back.

"What is it, sweetheart?" he asked softly, dipping his head to press a kiss to her shoulder, "what can I do?"

She lifted a hand from his waist, pulling a shiver from him with those gentle fingertips trailing over his skin before she cupped the back of his head and turned to whisper a soft plea in his ear. "Make love to me."

His heart stuttered in his chest, lips parting softly in shock as he drew back enough to look at her, to see the vulnerability in her eyes. She wanted this, he could tell she did but still, he found himself asking "Are you sure?"

Those beautiful big eyes dropped to his lips as she began nodding slowly before she breathed "I've never been more certain about anything in my life, Robin." She slowly tilted her head as she she brushed her lips over his own and breathed "please?" against his mouth before she kissed him.

It was a lingering thing that had him pulling her impossibly closer to him by the small of her back as his brow furrowed with the emotions it evoked. She was finally ready to move on and he could feel it, the freedom within her. He rolled them slowly so that she was on her back, legs slightly parted for one of his knees as he hovered above her without breaking the kiss.

He used a palm pressed into the pillow beside his head for balance whilst the other trailed around from her back to her side, his thumb smoothing over bed-warmed skin.

Her soft hands rose to cup his face, keeping him close, as though he had any other intention than to stay like this with her forever, as she tilted her head for a better angle. Her knee bent only enough to press her foot flat against the mattress and rest her leg against Robin's hip, encouraging him to lay heavier atop her which he did, pulling a gentle whimper from her throat.

He opened her mouth skilfully with his tongue, slipping it between her lips to slide slowly against her own as that hand on her side trailed a lingering pass up and over her ribs before stilling just below her left breast. Regina nodded despite the question not having been asked and moaned softly when he cupped the tender mound, her nipple pebbling against his warm palm when he began kneading it gently.

His need was obvious, pressing against her as it was and though it seemed the slow and thorough build-up suited her, Robin found himself rather surprised when, quite suddenly, it was he who was on his back as Regina straddled him.

It took only a minute shift for him to realise that they were pressed together in the most intimate way. "Oh" he groaned. It took only a minute more before Regina's hands were moving to stroke down his chest, fingers giving way to hard muscle before she was moving back up and her hips began to roll over him languidly. "Regina…"

Her brow furrowed and her lips parted as she continued her slow movements, the softest sounds leaving her throat as she took what she needed from him. It wasn't long before she allowed herself to bend forward at the waist so that she could kiss him once more with hands holding his face and neck, breathing delicious whimpers into his mouth when she lifted her hips enough to allow him to guide himself into her tight, wet entrance.

Robin's next groan was strangled and almost enough to wake their children but Regina swallowed it, straining to keep her own quiet because it felt right, being joined together like this. It felt like coming home.

* * *

"Are you going to go?" Robin dropped a gentle kiss upon her bare shoulder, arms wrapped around her small waist, holding her close to him as they both watched the morning sun rise higher in the sky. The boys would no doubt be awake soon and their date would be officially over so for now they simply enjoyed the quiet together. Sated and spent as they were.

She breathed in a deep breath through her nose, holding it for a moment before letting it out as she replied "I should."

His brow furrowed gently at her answer. "Do you want to go?"

"No."

"Then don't," he whispered, dropping another kiss to her skin, "you have every right not to."

"Would you come with me?" she asked, lifting his arms enough to turn and face him, dark eyes troubled as they moved between his own. "If I choose to go, would you come with me?"

His lips curled with his soft smile as he leaned forward to press a kiss to the tip of her nose, grateful when it had her own curving gently. "Whatever you need, my darling."

She watched him for a long moment more with delicate fingers curled against his chest before she nodded and stole a soft and lingering kiss from his lips. He expected her to turn once more in his arms but instead she shifted closer and tucked her head into the crook of his neck as she slipped her arms around him and pressed palms against his bare back to keep him close to her.

Robin, in turn, wrapped his own arms around her, bending one to thread his fingers into her hair as he allowed his head to rest against the side of hers.

"I love you, Robin." She whispered after a long moment of quiet, "More than I ever thought possible."

He let out a breath of soft and happy laughter as he whispered in reply "And I love you, Regina, in a way I had only ever dreamed of before I met you."


	17. Epilogue

She closed her eyes, letting loose a soft sigh as the ocean breeze blew gently through her hair. A feeling of contentment was taking root in her heart and only growing with each giddy laugh that reached her ears as the boys splashed in the rolling waves. Leopold was gone, dead and buried in a plot far away from her crypt and though the funeral had been hard - she hadn't shed a tear for he deserved none from her - she'd made it through with Henry and Robin standing warm and steady either side of her.

The procession had been small and even then, those in attendance had come for the sake of their Princess rather than the dead monarch. Snow had been the only one to water the ground with her tears.

They'd left the graveyard with a respectful nod to the grieving Princess and fingers laced, Robin's suggestion of a trip to the beach met with no resistance when they picked up Roland from the Merry Men's camp.

It was where they'd been for the past hour, taking full advantage of the afternoon sun.

She smiled softly when she felt Robin press a kiss to her shoulder, turning her head slowly and blinking open her eyes to find him grinning at her with his chin resting lightly on her upper arm. "What are you looking at, thief?"

His grin grew at the nickname as he pressed another kiss to her skin and replied, "All that I could possibly want."

"You're far sweeter than you have any right to be."

He laughed softly, his breath tickling her sunkissed skin before he leaned up to press a tender kiss to her lips and telling her, "As long as I get to see that smile everyday, I'm okay with that."

Regina breathed a gentle and rather tired laugh through her nose before she tipped forward slowly to kiss him again. He remained close when their lips parted and allowed her to take the comfort she needed from him with her eyes still closed and forehead resting steadily against his own.

They were pulled apart, long minutes later, by Henry's wary call of, "Mom…" from the sea. He wasn't looking at them but at the approaching figures of the Charmings, including Emma, and Hook.

She hadn't told him of her conversation with Snow - he was still a child and had taken on far more than he ever should have in the first place - and so his confusion was expected when his Grandmother was met with a small smile in greeting.

"May we join you?"

Regina nodded kindly, turning to Robin and accepting his kiss before watching as he rose and challenged David to something of a soccer match with their children, laughing - despite knowing what they were all doing - when both Emma and Killian began kicking their boots off and expressing their own interest in it.

They traded teasing barbs as they carefully placed their things aside before they were making their way down the beach towards the waiting boys and leaving Snow to ensure Neal's stroller cover kept the sun from her sleeping babe before she lowered herself down onto the blanket beside Regina.

The former Queen watched as Henry and Roland accepted their newfound company with ease - Robin was no doubt explaining the truce between his mother and grandmother to Henry - before she turned her face to Snow's at the younger woman's hopeful, "Everything's going to be okay, isn't it?"

She breathed a deep breath, considering her words for a moment before she turned back to look at their ragtag little family laughing as they played and enjoyed one another's company before she exhaled steadily and replied, "Yes," and then, "yes, I believe it will be."


End file.
